Question Dru Yearwood

[buffalowolf]

reading your threads past two matches and from beginning off the season ,how many 17 year olds are playing in teams from all 4 leagues,I can see if and i know its a big IF ,Dru Yearwood continues to progress as he has this season by the time he reaches 20 ( hopefully he will still be wearing a SUFC shirt) a lot of big clubs are going to be sniffing about. Is Dru the only 17 year old playing first team football or are there others .From your posts its seems to me we have unearthed a diamond in the rough .

 

[mattitouk]

To be fair, Dru will be 18 in 10 days, but that aside, & in answer to your question, there are quite a lot of players aged 17 playing regularly for teams in the top 4 divisions.

Excluding bit part players (ie players that have only made a few appearances so far this season) & that are still 17 years old to date are:

Kane Wilson has made 11 appearances for Exeter
Jordan Stevens has made 15 appearances for Forest Green Rovers
Anthony Hartigan has made 16 appearances for AFC Wimbledon
Ryan Sessegnon has made 33 appearances for Fulham.


At the other end of the scale, Danny Bulman (Crawley), Clint Hill (Carlisle) & Ryan Lowe (Bury) are all still playing at the ripe old age of 39.

 

[Angell Delight]

He was fantastic yesterday.

 

[wivs]

I am sure Dru will go on to become a star and have been saying this since seeing him in the friendly at Braintree. He reminds me of Keith Jones.

 

[Jay_SUFC]

When I saw him on pre-season I was very impressed and believe he could make the club a fair bit of money. It was brilliant to get to signed up for 4 years.

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

Probably the best bit of business Phil Brown did was get Dru signed to a long term deal. He was mustard yesterday

 

[rigsby]

To play in the middle is a completely different game than even wide mid-field. Strikers can have a day off and defenders can get lucky because the opposition can miss a sitter, as our forwards have proved this season. You can't hide in the middle of the park, so I thinks its great that we have a 17 year old that slot as it requires far more than just ability on the ball to be a CM.

I certainly don't want him to curb any passion or start to play 'within' himself or any of that coaching nonsense but needs to watch his reaction. Got sucked into a bad booking on Saturday and flared up with the ref. Some quick thinking by his team mates made him go down with the sympathy injury and on came Ben.

Dru done exactly the same at home v Peterborough with the same reaction. These things don't go unnoticed by watching scouts and there are plenty of experience pros who can take advantage. Other than that, he should carry on and enjoy it.

 

[onceknownasrab]

To play in the middle is a completely different game than even wide mid-field. Strikers can have a day off and defenders can get lucky because the opposition can miss a sitter, as our forwards have proved this season. You can't hide in the middle of the park, so I thinks its great that we have a 17 year old that slot as it requires far more than just ability on the ball to be a CM.

I certainly don't want him to curb any passion or start to play 'within' himself or any of that coaching nonsense but needs to watch his reaction. Got sucked into a bad booking on Saturday and flared up with the ref. Some quick thinking by his team mates made him go down with the sympathy injury and on came Ben.

Dru done exactly the same at home v Peterborough with the same reaction. These things don't go unnoticed by watching scouts and there are plenty of experience pros who can take advantage. Other than that, he should carry on and enjoy it.

You're quite right and it is clear, even at 17, he is no shrinking violet. One would hope, as he matures and gains experience, he will control his reactions somewhat better. As an aside, it's early days, but it looks like a good bit of business signing him on for the long term and for that I commend PB for the part he played.

 

[londonblue]

You're quite right and it is clear, even at 17, he is no shrinking violet. One would hope, as he matures and gains experience, he will control his reactions somewhat better. As an aside, it's early days, but it looks like a good bit of business signing him on for the long term and for that I commend PB for the part he played.

Indeed. It has the potential to turn into a Collymore type situation. Everyone is happy to give Judas Fry the credit for selling him and making Southend millions in the process, but Stan himself is usually quick to remind people it was Colin Murphy who signed him in the first place, and that he deserves more credit than Fry.

 

[overseas shrimper]

To be fair, Dru will be 18 in 10 days, but that aside, & in answer to your question, there are quite a lot of players aged 17 playing regularly for teams in the top 4 divisions.

Excluding bit part players (ie players that have only made a few appearances so far this season) & that are still 17 years old to date are:

Kane Wilson has made 11 appearances for Exeter
Jordan Stevens has made 15 appearances for Forest Green Rovers
Anthony Hartigan has made 16 appearances for AFC Wimbledon
Ryan Sessegnon has made 33 appearances for Fulham.


At the other end of the scale, Danny Bulman (Crawley), Clint Hill (Carlisle) & Ryan Lowe (Bury) are all still playing at the ripe old age of 39.

How did Brown miss these?

 

[Thundersley Blue]

Dru has done well. I was disappointed when we signed Josh Wright as I feared that would reduce Dru's game time. He has a lot to learn and I am sure that now Chris Powell is his manager he will go from strength to strength. Probably the most exciting young prospect we have had in many years.

 

[Tommy2holes]

Premier league clubs will always be on the lookout for players like drew. 17 year olds who are getting rave reviews and playing first team football.

Chucking a couple of million at a player with potential is no big thing for them.

If drew continues to play regularly and chips in with a few goals it won't be long until he is on a few clubs radars.

We have a great opportunity with him being tied down on a 4 year deal.

 

[Supershrimper]

How did Brown miss these?

Probably his identified transfer targets just before Ron gave him the chop

 

[wakes123]

Dru has done well. I was disappointed when we signed Josh Wright as I feared that would reduce Dru's game time. He has a lot to learn and I am sure that now Chris Powell is his manager he will go from strength to strength. Probably the most exciting young prospect we have had in many years.

Jack Payne?

 

[C C Csiders]

Jack Payne?

Jason Williams?

 

[LCBB72]

Indeed. It has the potential to turn into a Collymore type situation. Everyone is happy to give Judas Fry the credit for selling him and making Southend millions in the process, but Stan himself is usually quick to remind people it was Colin Murphy who signed him in the first place, and that he deserves more credit than Fry.

It would be interesting to know what he thinks of the managers he played under at Roots Hall .

 

[LCBB72]

It would be interesting to know what he thinks of the managers he played under at Roots Hall .

I mean who Chris played under .

 

[Bearded Shrimper]

I think Dru Yearwood looks an absolute class player

 

[wakes123]

Lightweight and lacks pace, made a bad move too early and should have stayed with us for a couple more years. Can't see Payne playing any higher than Championship football.....Dru has some real class and will be interesting to see how he develops....could be a superstar!

You're using him leaving as a bias against him though, when he was 18/19 breaking into the first team everyone was raving about him. I was replying to a post which said Dru is the most exciting young prospect we have had in many years, which I don't entirely agree with.

 

[Ricky Otto]

it's all in the spelling of the name

Drewe = terrible
Dru = World beater