Zone Update SUFC's under 18 defender Callum Whittaker called-up to the Northern Ireland squad

[seany t]

http://www.southendunited.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10444~1532995,00.html

Good to hear. Might be one for the future then.

What with Herd, O'Keefe (who I think looks pretty capable on the ball) and Moussa starting to show their potential, it goes to show our backing of the youth system is now starting to get results.

 

[Andy_S]

It says called up, but then it says he's on standby....... Hmm.

Having seen him play against Orient for the reserves, I do hope he's a centre back, because he played right back in that game and looked less like a footballer than Rio Alderton. He was woeful.

 

[manor15]

futures bright
why cant he just advance 2 or 3 years and then play in the first team now

 

[Exiled Shrimper]

It says called up, but then it says he's on standby....... Hmm.

Having seen him play against Orient for the reserves, I do hope he's a centre back, because he played right back in that game and looked less like a footballer than Rio Alderton. He was woeful.

I think that comparing him to Rio Alderton is both wholly unfair, unhelpful and untrue. Fortunately, many of the younger posters here will not remember Alderton who, IMO, would've made for a decent non-League centre-half were it not for his insistance that he play in the centre of midfield. Hopefully, Southend supporters will remember Callum Whittaker's name in years to come.

Callum has spent time at both Chelsea and Ipswich Town in their Academy set-ups before joining us this season on a two-year scholarship, and he has often had to feature in inexperienced Under-18 and reserve team line-ups, through injuries in the former squad and a lack of defensive cover in the latter.

He impressed mightily in pre-season matches, particularly in Under-20 fixtures against the first team eleven's of Bishop's Stortford and Farnborough. Despite only recently turning 17, he has been put on standby for Northern Ireland Under-18s, and he has proved himself to be extremely vocal when he has appeared for us.

I think it's a huge positive that first-year scholars like Callum, Duran Reynolds and John Owinja have featured in defence for our reserves - in years gone by, those places may have been taken by trialists whose future laid anywhere but Roots Hall. The story for our youth-teamers, as shown in recent fixtures by Johnny Herd, Stuart O'Keefe and Franck Moussa, may be a whole lot brighter, even if they are inexperienced at the moment.

 

[Kent Shrimper]

Blues defender Callum Whittaker has been called into Northern Ireland's under 18 squad. Whittaker was originally placed on standby for the Copa del Atlantico tournament in Gran Canaria this week. But he now been selected and is hoping to impress manager Paul Kee ahead of this summer's under 19 European Championships. "We have to play in three games over there," said the centre-back who was due to fly out this morning.
Southend Echo