Echo News Cambridge United boss Mark Bonner learnt trade with Southend United

[Evening Echo]

SOUTHEND United’s academy has produced some top young players in recent seasons but it could now have also unearthed a top young manager.

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[NZamba Legend]

Another one who slipped through the net.

 

[Exiled Shrimper]

I remember Mark Bonner joining the club when Ricky Duncan returned from Cambridge United in 2005. Mark was Lead Foundation Phase Coach (U9s-U12s) and Luke Hobbs was Lead Development Phase Coach (U13s-U16s).

Mark has gone on to be Academy Manager and now First Team Manager at Cambridge, whilst Luke is Head of Academy Coaching at Arsenal, with additional responsibilities for recruitment and development, having also held the role of Interim Academy Manager with the Gunners for a period.

Then you can add former youth team coach Dave Huzzey, who is now Academy Manager at Colchester United, and Luke's successor as Lead Development Phase Coach, David Johnson, who left to join West Ham United's Academy, and you realise that the Blues Academy has been successful in producing staff as well as players.

 

[Suffolk Shrimper In Dorset]

Oh, will someone sign him up for SUEPA on Saturday then?

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I remember Mark Bonner joining the club when Ricky Duncan returned from Cambridge United in 2005. Mark was Lead Foundation Phase Coach (U9s-U12s) and Luke Hobbs was Lead Development Phase Coach (U13s-U16s).

Mark has gone on to be Academy Manager and now First Team Manager at Cambridge, whilst Luke is Head of Academy Coaching at Arsenal, with additional responsibilities for recruitment and development, having also held the role of Interim Academy Manager with the Gunners for a period.

Then you can add former youth team coach Dave Huzzey, who is now Academy Manager at Colchester United, and Luke's successor as Lead Development Phase Coach, David Johnson, who left to join West Ham United's Academy, and you realise that the Blues Academy has been successful in producing staff as well as players.

So is that how we got hold of Olayinka?

 

[Southend schoolboy]

Had Mark as a coach in the youth set up for 5 years and still keep in contact with him now, top coach but most importantly a top bloke. Whilst he did release me (quite rightly), I haven’t a bad word to say about him.

really happy to see him flying high, and hope to see him as Southend manager one day as we are the club that have him the platform to get to where he is today.

 

[crangoner]

So is that how we got hold of Olayinka?

We have a good relationship via Ricky to Arsenal primarily from Isaac Hayden, I believe. Helped steer Bentley and Yearwood our way after they left Arsenal.

 

[borientater]

Makes you wonder how we’ve managed to hold on to Ricky Duncan

 

[Southend schoolboy]

We have a good relationship via Ricky to Arsenal primarily from Isaac Hayden, I believe. Helped steer Bentley and Yearwood our way after they left Arsenal.

Arsenal and Southend have always had a good relationship. One people often forget was the centre forward in my side, Stephy Mavididi. Went to arsenal from us and now has a serie A medal with Juve alongside a certain CR7

 

[hockleyeast1964]

Had Mark as a coach in the youth set up for 5 years and still keep in contact with him now, top coach but most importantly a top bloke. Whilst he did release me (quite rightly), I haven’t a bad word to say about him.

really happy to see him flying high, and hope to see him as Southend manager one day as we are the club that have him the platform to get to where he is today.

Mark was my lads coach for 3 years before he went back to Cambridge. A top coach and a top man . He was brilliant, bumped into him at Cambridge when Nottingham uni played Cambridge uni . Came over to say hello and watched some of the game .