| New academy signatures 12:16 - Dec 24 with 1858 views | KeithHaynes |
A trio of Swansea City’s academy players have put pen to paper on their first professional deals with the club.
Adrian Akande, Harry Jones and Josh Thomas have all signed on, having all enjoyed excellent starts to the 2020-21 season.
Winger Akande, 17, joined the Swans from Chelsea over the summer — initially on a scholarship deal — but has signed a pro deal through to the summer of 2023.
Right-back Jones, also 17, arrived from Arsenal on scholarship terms in the summer, and has himself signed on until 2023.
Forward Thomas, 18, has been in fine form this campaign, most notably netting a hat-trick in the under-23s’ victory over Nottingham Forest.
He first joined the club in 2015 and the Bridgend-born striker’s deal runs until 2022, with the option for a further year. |  |
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| New academy signatures on 14:44 - Dec 27 with 1727 views | Kilkennyjack |
Not being funny, but what about our Academy players ?
Nice for Chelsea and Arsenal mind ..... |  |
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| New academy signatures on 14:52 - Dec 27 with 1718 views | NotLoyal |
| New academy signatures on 14:44 - Dec 27 by Kilkennyjack |
Not being funny, but what about our Academy players ?
Nice for Chelsea and Arsenal mind ..... |
It’s the way we do business, and are quite good at it. |  |
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| New academy signatures on 18:42 - Dec 27 with 1654 views | ReslovenSwan1 |
Young Harry must have great skills but clearly needs some good home Welsh cooking to fill out a bit. |  |
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| New academy signatures on 20:01 - Dec 27 with 1634 views | jasper_T |
| New academy signatures on 14:44 - Dec 27 by Kilkennyjack |
Not being funny, but what about our Academy players ?
Nice for Chelsea and Arsenal mind ..... |
Harry worked with Matty Jones with Wales u16s, came highly-recommended but Arsenal had too many right backs his age. Chelsea didn't want to lose Akande. Both had plenty of offers but the pro deals were part of the package we offered to bring them here.
Good few local/long-term academy lads in that age group coming through. Cam Congreve, Josh Edwards, Kai Ludvigsen all have promise. Morgan Clarke progressing well in his second scholarship year, as is Wrexham boy Scott Butler. Think next year's scholars might be better both in quality and numbers, though. A few gems. |  | | |
| New academy signatures on 21:58 - Dec 27 with 1587 views | Kilkennyjack |
| New academy signatures on 14:52 - Dec 27 by NotLoyal |
It’s the way we do business, and are quite good at it. |
Like Kenji Gorre, also released by a big club .... ?
Oli and Dan were never released. | |
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| New academy signatures on 22:02 - Dec 27 with 1583 views | NotLoyal |
| New academy signatures on 21:58 - Dec 27 by Kilkennyjack |
Like Kenji Gorre, also released by a big club .... ?
Oli and Dan were never released. |
Gorre wasn't good enough. Plus there were external issues I heard.
I know you want more players in from local sources, and the new crop are more local but it's the way it is, and tbh as I said we seem to be good at it | |
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| New academy signatures on 08:07 - Dec 28 with 1516 views | Dr_Winston |
Wouldn't be an Academy thread without Kilks complaining that the kids aren't local enough. Athletic Bilbao are a bit too cosmopolitan for him. |  |
| Pain or damage don't end the world. Or despair, or f*cking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man... and give some back. |
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| New academy signatures on 12:19 - Dec 28 with 1444 views | ReslovenSwan1 |
| New academy signatures on 08:07 - Dec 28 by Dr_Winston |
Wouldn't be an Academy thread without Kilks complaining that the kids aren't local enough. Athletic Bilbao are a bit too cosmopolitan for him. |
What Killkeny fails to realise it that the club gives opportunties to scores of local lads, They will need to graft and hone their skills to get past the imported players or end up in the league of Wales or Merthyr. Only the very best or most committed will survive. If they are distracted they can forget it. I dread to think how many Swansea prospects were lost before the old regme reformed the club.
Connor Roberts got past numerous imported players like Tyler Reid and others. Allen put a highly rate England age international on the bench. Josh McEachran. | |
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| New academy signatures on 13:20 - Dec 28 with 1416 views | jasper_T |
| New academy signatures on 12:19 - Dec 28 by ReslovenSwan1 |
What Killkeny fails to realise it that the club gives opportunties to scores of local lads, They will need to graft and hone their skills to get past the imported players or end up in the league of Wales or Merthyr. Only the very best or most committed will survive. If they are distracted they can forget it. I dread to think how many Swansea prospects were lost before the old regme reformed the club.
Connor Roberts got past numerous imported players like Tyler Reid and others. Allen put a highly rate England age international on the bench. Josh McEachran. |
And some get stuck behind expensive imports who get more opportunities despite unremarkable talent and performances. Tyler Reid was first choice right back throughout his time here in our u23s, with Aaron Lewis and Connor (when he was back here from loans) usually shifted to left back to accommodate him. Jack Evans had to be very patient for gametime waiting for a Scottish trio to make way. Cullen had to play on the wing with lumps like Baker-Richardson and Botti Biabi sharing the number 9.
The common sense view is that the cream will always rise but real life (and football) isn't always so straightforward. It's not a perfect system, as Adnan Maric getting his FA cup debut ahead of George Byers will show. Some kids will get overlooked if they're not the right type for a particular manager, and there's always pressure to prove that big money spent wasn't wasted. But quite a lot was.
There's been turnover in staff at the academy recruitment level, I think these lads and the longer contracts we've started giving out young prospects like Rushesha and Webb say more about the future than what the previous regime did. Policies change as new ideas get put into practice. | | | |
| New academy signatures on 13:28 - Dec 28 with 1409 views | swancity |
| New academy signatures on 21:58 - Dec 27 by Kilkennyjack |
Like Kenji Gorre, also released by a big club .... ?
Oli and Dan were never released. |
Gorre had ability which attracted lots of big clubs to him when he was young including Man Utd Man City Celtic etc
He’s got talent but like a lot of players out there, not the drive and single minded determination needed to succeed. His gambling addiction sadly affected his career here too. 😩 | |
| Only an idiot would eat a turkey curry on Christmas day |
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| New academy signatures on 15:03 - Dec 28 with 1376 views | Kilkennyjack |
| New academy signatures on 12:19 - Dec 28 by ReslovenSwan1 |
What Killkeny fails to realise it that the club gives opportunties to scores of local lads, They will need to graft and hone their skills to get past the imported players or end up in the league of Wales or Merthyr. Only the very best or most committed will survive. If they are distracted they can forget it. I dread to think how many Swansea prospects were lost before the old regme reformed the club.
Connor Roberts got past numerous imported players like Tyler Reid and others. Allen put a highly rate England age international on the bench. Josh McEachran. |
No i do realise that.
The challenge is about the coaching of local talent.
The talent is there as Joey, Ben, Jazz and then Rodon, Roberts prove.
If i was a poor coach (i would be) then the signing of talent coached elsewhere is a get out of jail card. Blame the local lads and throw some money at the released players from big clubs.
We seem to be stuck in the middle.
Either scale back the academy and basically just sign from other clubs.
Or carry on with the significant investment and focus hard on getting more players through.
(Jasper makes a great point about blocking opportunities, we have seen that).
I prefer option B.
Not sure we have the cash to sustain option A.
I don't think we should sign from outside of our academy area unless we are bringing in first team ready players. | |
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| New academy signatures on 15:49 - Dec 28 with 1358 views | swancity |
| New academy signatures on 15:03 - Dec 28 by Kilkennyjack |
No i do realise that.
The challenge is about the coaching of local talent.
The talent is there as Joey, Ben, Jazz and then Rodon, Roberts prove.
If i was a poor coach (i would be) then the signing of talent coached elsewhere is a get out of jail card. Blame the local lads and throw some money at the released players from big clubs.
We seem to be stuck in the middle.
Either scale back the academy and basically just sign from other clubs.
Or carry on with the significant investment and focus hard on getting more players through.
(Jasper makes a great point about blocking opportunities, we have seen that).
I prefer option B.
Not sure we have the cash to sustain option A.
I don't think we should sign from outside of our academy area unless we are bringing in first team ready players. |
But if you do that you’re restricting your Club considerably. Tieing one hand behind its back.
You have to blend both methods of attracting players. Roberto for example used the Spanish market for first team players but was aware that (many) players don’t reach their full potential and development until 23/24. And for that reason was always happy to keep players with potential on contracts, some of whom didn’t “make it” eg Bond.
We must always be looking out for good young players from everywhere as well as developing our own and this is one of Coopers many strengths. It matters not where players come from. Whether that’s Ghana or Gorseinon. In an ideal world we would field 11 local lads but that’s not going to happen any more. | |
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| New academy signatures on 16:06 - Dec 28 with 1343 views | Chief |
The crux of it is that ultimately the academy owes no obligation to the Welsh national team. As a big fan of the Wales national i would obviously prefer all the graduates to be Welsh qualified, but its intention is to provide players for the Swansea senior squad, whether that be local talent or young players scouted from elsewhere to spend their time at the academy. |  |
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| New academy signatures on 16:15 - Dec 28 with 1339 views | Chief |
Its difficult to gauge whether 'the cream always rises to the top' or whether local boys development is hampered by youngsters from further afield. A bit of chicken and the egg.
There are however something like 25 players playing in the football league that have come through the academy at some point, most of which are Welsh so although the academy's sole purpose isn't to provide for the national team it certainly is (far more than Wales' other clubs) | |
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| New academy signatures on 16:37 - Dec 28 with 1322 views | ReslovenSwan1 |
The academy has been a relevation both for locals and imported players. I am not a big fans of the Trust but that is purely based on it's mentality and performance of it leadership. It is not as a matter of principle of being a 'community club'.
The real community strength of Swansea city is the Academy. Any good player 6-10 years from Fishgurd to Bridgend and beyond is given the chance of world class training nd facilities. Each youngster has friends, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents in the community. Davies, Richards, Allen, Roberts, Rodon, Cabango all became Welsh internationals in the last decade. Almost one player every 18 months. Each is averaging a transfer value of around £10m It is noticeable that academy stars ease semmlessly into the first team. This is becasue they are well schooled.
Other players have gone on to football careers outside Swansea. Hedges, Watkins, Shepheard, Samuels, Walsh, Gwion Edwards. Even less sucessful non league players have the option of coaching based on what they learned at Swansea. All part of the Swansea way tapestry.
Returning players of Welsh heritage have also flourished Daniel James the standout. | |
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| New academy signatures on 16:52 - Dec 28 with 1312 views | jasper_T |
| New academy signatures on 16:06 - Dec 28 by Chief |
The crux of it is that ultimately the academy owes no obligation to the Welsh national team. As a big fan of the Wales national i would obviously prefer all the graduates to be Welsh qualified, but its intention is to provide players for the Swansea senior squad, whether that be local talent or young players scouted from elsewhere to spend their time at the academy. |
The academy receives a lot of funding (millions a year) through the Premier League/EPPP program for whom the aim isn't simply for academies to produce players only for their own first team. There actually is an obligation to produce locally-based players from within the community, although the explicit intention of the standards is naturally on developing English players for the English national setup. | | | |
| New academy signatures on 19:45 - Dec 28 with 1275 views | Chief |
| New academy signatures on 16:52 - Dec 28 by jasper_T |
The academy receives a lot of funding (millions a year) through the Premier League/EPPP program for whom the aim isn't simply for academies to produce players only for their own first team. There actually is an obligation to produce locally-based players from within the community, although the explicit intention of the standards is naturally on developing English players for the English national setup. |
They fund it in the hope it will produce youngsters. Thats different to an obligation. An obligation implies the funding would be revoked if they didn't fulfill it, which wouldn't happen would it? | |
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| New academy signatures on 20:31 - Dec 28 with 1255 views | swancity |
| New academy signatures on 19:45 - Dec 28 by Chief |
They fund it in the hope it will produce youngsters. Thats different to an obligation. An obligation implies the funding would be revoked if they didn't fulfill it, which wouldn't happen would it? |
That’s correct
There’s no legal obligation
It’s to assist with the development of mainly local players which is a great initiative | |
| Only an idiot would eat a turkey curry on Christmas day |
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| New academy signatures on 22:09 - Dec 28 with 1216 views | jasper_T |
| New academy signatures on 19:45 - Dec 28 by Chief |
They fund it in the hope it will produce youngsters. Thats different to an obligation. An obligation implies the funding would be revoked if they didn't fulfill it, which wouldn't happen would it? |
There's more to it than simply "hope". There are rules for when and where we can recruit, as part of the EPPP. It's set up to be a collaborative effort to improve the development (quantity and quality) of young footballers from within the English FA umbrella. Similar systems have been put into place in other FAs all over the world. If we were to dismiss those rules we would lose funding, of course we would. Brentford and Huddersfield have done just that, thinking they'll see more benefit at their clubs working in a different way. Birmingham are in the process of doing the same. They will no longer receive funding for their player development programs as we do. We are receiving less now since dropping our standards back to Cat 2.
There isn't a specific legal obligation saying we have to produce x number of local players for our national team, no, it's not nearly so specific as that, but it's also not accurate to suggest that we're in this on our own and the only thing that matters to the academy is producing players for Swansea City's first team. Beyond a moral duty to local youth (which I'm sure many will argue doesn't exist, but I'm not one of them) something like 40%+ of the funding comes from outside the club, and the academy enjoys perks of the system like organised competitions (not like Brentford who have to set up all their own friendlies, tours and tournaments). When we produce players we are rewarded with future fees and addons even if the players are only with us for a short spell in the ages between 13 and 21.
But the longer they're here, the further they go and the better they do, the more return we get on our investment. [Post edited 28 Dec 2020 22:13]
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| New academy signatures on 22:23 - Dec 28 with 1206 views | Badlands |
Bringing in good prospects should raise the standard of all players both local and 'from off'.
We don't know but are these lads coming in because there is a lack of ability coming through from our own ranks?
Anyway, I welcome them to the club and hope they excel along with others at all levels. |  |
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| New academy signatures on 23:29 - Dec 28 with 1178 views | Chief |
| New academy signatures on 22:09 - Dec 28 by jasper_T |
There's more to it than simply "hope". There are rules for when and where we can recruit, as part of the EPPP. It's set up to be a collaborative effort to improve the development (quantity and quality) of young footballers from within the English FA umbrella. Similar systems have been put into place in other FAs all over the world. If we were to dismiss those rules we would lose funding, of course we would. Brentford and Huddersfield have done just that, thinking they'll see more benefit at their clubs working in a different way. Birmingham are in the process of doing the same. They will no longer receive funding for their player development programs as we do. We are receiving less now since dropping our standards back to Cat 2.
There isn't a specific legal obligation saying we have to produce x number of local players for our national team, no, it's not nearly so specific as that, but it's also not accurate to suggest that we're in this on our own and the only thing that matters to the academy is producing players for Swansea City's first team. Beyond a moral duty to local youth (which I'm sure many will argue doesn't exist, but I'm not one of them) something like 40%+ of the funding comes from outside the club, and the academy enjoys perks of the system like organised competitions (not like Brentford who have to set up all their own friendlies, tours and tournaments). When we produce players we are rewarded with future fees and addons even if the players are only with us for a short spell in the ages between 13 and 21.
But the longer they're here, the further they go and the better they do, the more return we get on our investment. [Post edited 28 Dec 2020 22:13]
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Yes hope is an appropriate word. Same when you implement any initiative, you hope it reaps rewards.
Losing funding for not adhering to regulations is different to what i described. What i described was basically not bringing through any worthwhile local talent.
Yes the likes of Brentford have decided that having an academy in a guise similar to ours isn't for them so i can see why they don't get funding.
Surely the purpose of said competitions is to provide competitive games to help these youngsters develop with the ultimate aim of reaching the first team. | |
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| New academy signatures on 01:29 - Dec 29 with 1158 views | jasper_T |
| New academy signatures on 23:29 - Dec 28 by Chief |
Yes hope is an appropriate word. Same when you implement any initiative, you hope it reaps rewards.
Losing funding for not adhering to regulations is different to what i described. What i described was basically not bringing through any worthwhile local talent.
Yes the likes of Brentford have decided that having an academy in a guise similar to ours isn't for them so i can see why they don't get funding.
Surely the purpose of said competitions is to provide competitive games to help these youngsters develop with the ultimate aim of reaching the first team. |
The Premier League/EPPP run those competitions to help youngsters develop for English football, not their respective clubs' first teams. The overall objective isn't to create the ideal environment for each to club to improve its own playing side, but to develop the national game as a whole, as it has been developed in France and Germany and even Scotland with their own schemes. There are as many restrictions imposed on clubs determining how they can operate, as opportunities (and money) handed over to them to help the process.
It's a subtle distinction worth bearing in mind given many fans can (understandably) get fixated on the idea that the singular goal "is to provide players for the Swansea senior squad". The Swansea City first team is not the only or ultimate goal of player production in the Swansea City academy. Success can and should also be measured in players that go on to ply their trade at other levels, higher and lower. Which I would suggest we're only starting to see enough of.
And (to try to tie this to an actual point I've long forgotten) it's the local players who've been with us the longest that provide the greatest return under those rules we agree to and receive funding for compliance with. The lads coming through from 12/13/14 years old are a tremendous asset and should be looked after and exploited(!) to the best of our abilities. And not just because we're all fans of the national team. | | | |
| New academy signatures on 15:29 - Dec 29 with 1066 views | Kilkennyjack |
| New academy signatures on 16:37 - Dec 28 by ReslovenSwan1 |
The academy has been a relevation both for locals and imported players. I am not a big fans of the Trust but that is purely based on it's mentality and performance of it leadership. It is not as a matter of principle of being a 'community club'.
The real community strength of Swansea city is the Academy. Any good player 6-10 years from Fishgurd to Bridgend and beyond is given the chance of world class training nd facilities. Each youngster has friends, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents in the community. Davies, Richards, Allen, Roberts, Rodon, Cabango all became Welsh internationals in the last decade. Almost one player every 18 months. Each is averaging a transfer value of around £10m It is noticeable that academy stars ease semmlessly into the first team. This is becasue they are well schooled.
Other players have gone on to football careers outside Swansea. Hedges, Watkins, Shepheard, Samuels, Walsh, Gwion Edwards. Even less sucessful non league players have the option of coaching based on what they learned at Swansea. All part of the Swansea way tapestry.
Returning players of Welsh heritage have also flourished Daniel James the standout. |
Let me help ..,,
Whilst in the Premiership our academy was funded with many millions, and yet only produced Ben.
The last Premiership squad only had Roberts, nobody else from our Academy.
I think that’s disappointing however you dress it up.
I expected more. | |
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