Breeding winners, as Leeds chase Cup glory

YOU often hear it said that agegroup football should not be about results but Leeds United Under-18 manager Rob Etherington is not of that mindset.

Playing against Manchester City in front of an Eastlands crowd bolstered by 6,000 away fans live on the internet for the FA Youth Cup is a perfect opportunity to teach his youngsters to be winners.

In the build-up to Friday’s final, he has been drumming into them what it means to be Leeds too.

“Winning is a part of development,” insists Etherington, a Leeds fan and since 2013 an employee, initially as a first-team sports scientist but for the last decade in the academy.

“The ultimate object for us is the development of young players, helping them being the best they can be. Learning how to win football games is a part of that.

“The FA Youth Cup is a perfect opportunity to tune into that and go into the games in more detail.

“If they want to walk out at Elland Road in front of 36,000 people they've got to learn how to win football games and manage situations well because winning at first-team level is clearly very important.”

As for the extra detail, Etherington explains: “From a footballing point of view we prepare as we would for any other game. We'll look at Man City and opportunities we think we can take advantage of in the game but we focus a lot on us.

“I suppose the only addition is we go a bit deeper with the players and connect them with the values of the football club, the people they're representing, the people who came before and the people who will come after.

“I think that's a really powerful message for the players.

“The way they play the game is representative of the football club and the people who come to watch. The players have really bought into that.” The cream of this crop, Archie Gray, pictured, is on first-team duty at Norwich City in Sunday's Championship play-off semi-final first leg, and at only 15 his younger brother Harry is too young to play. But Leeds hope to have Charlie Crew available if he too is not needed by the first team.

Unlike when they lifted the trophy in 1993 and 1997, the final is a one-off game, and can be watched on The FA Player for those unable to be in Manchester.