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The Youth system and compensation thread

Freddie Gard? What’s the deal with him? Is he a relation to Lewis? He popped up on Twitter, I know he’s not at the club anymore just never heard of him.

Yes, Freddie is Lewis' older brother. Freddie made 49 appearances for our youth team, scoring 6 goals from a central midfield position. He was with us from the age of 10 until he was 19; he was offered a third-year development contract but not a professional deal. He did well on loan at Grays Athletic and Brightlingsea Regent, eventually joining the north Essex club on a permanent basis. He then followed Regent boss James Webster to Aveley and is very well-thought of there. Unfortunately last season his campaign was blighted by a serious injury, but he's been in pre-season action with the Millers, so hopefully he has now put that behind him.
 
Yes, Freddie is Lewis' older brother. Freddie made 49 appearances for our youth team, scoring 6 goals from a central midfield position. He was with us from the age of 10 until he was 19; he was offered a third-year development contract but not a professional deal. He did well on loan at Grays Athletic and Brightlingsea Regent, eventually joining the north Essex club on a permanent basis. He then followed Regent boss James Webster to Aveley and is very well-thought of there. Unfortunately last season his campaign was blighted by a serious injury, but he's been in pre-season action with the Millers, so hopefully he has now put that behind him.

ES - any chance that you can provide us with details of this years new scholars?.
 
Freddie Gard? What’s the deal with him? Is he a relation to Lewis? He popped up on Twitter, I know he’s not at the club anymore just never heard of him.
Freddie is Lewis’s older brother played Southend under23s . Watched him several times . I thought he’d definitely get a pro contract .
 
I was thinking about this last night. In terms of the financial worth of the academy, we could legitimately go something like 10 years signing only one or two first choice keepers. Mark Oxley joined in 2016 when Bentley left. If Ted Smith hadn't retired you could look at a line of home grown keepers going Bentley, Smith, Seaden, Taylor. Bentley stayed for 5 years, if Seaden and Taylor do something similar it could be 10 years between Oxley joining and needing another 1st choice from outside.

Similarly our defence next season could include Elvis, MMN and Clifford.
Midfield Phillips, Gard, Egbri and Kinali
up front Kelman, Acquah, Rush

That's a whole XI which could be made up of players from our academy. Now, we won't see that XI on the pitch (I hope!!) but having half a first team squad coming through the youth system should save us a lot of money, as well as making us money selling them on

Ron said the academy is funded to the tune of £400,000 per year. In transfers alone we have ben making a profit. We also save a huge amount in wages as well as having the joy of seeing some very promising and home grown football talent.

As each player makes the first team or is signed by the PL academy's, it shows a pathway to parents and young players who are potential recruits. Right now the years of dedication by Ricky and his team are really starting to show and this season will be the best so far.

For those that are still obsessed with rough diamond mining, it can be very expensive when you include the inflated wage demands. on numerous occasions I have seen Jamie Vardy mentioned on here as proof it works. Yet studies have shown, it doesn't pay overall.

The reality is we would have to shut the academy and bin all those players for 3 years just to gamble on the next potential Vardy.....Thats never going to happen and would be no fun anyway. So good luck to our lads and everyone who makes it happen...Because our future is in their hands....Or should I say at their feet.
 
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I think it's not only about transfer fees brought in, but outgoings saved. If we bring through our own players we don't need to get them from elsewhere. Buying in is more expensive coz the players are usually older, and more of a risk coz we don't know if they'll fit the area, the club, tactics etc.
I think our committent to youth is great. Long may it continue
 
Ron said the academy is funded to the tune of £400,000 per year. In transfers alone we have ben making a profit. We also save a huge amount in wages as well as having the joy of seeing some very promising and home grown football talent.

As each player makes the first team or is signed by the PL academy's, it shows a pathway to parents and young players who are potential recruits. Right now the years of dedication by Ricky and his team are really starting to show and this season will be the best so far.

For those that are still obsessed with rough diamond mining, it can be very expensive when you include the inflated wage demands. on numerous occasions I have seen Jamie Vardy mentioned on here as proof it works. Yet studies have shown, it doesn't pay overall.

The reality is we would have to shut the academy and bin all those players for 3 years just to gamble on the next potential Vardy.....Thats never going to happen and would be no fun anyway. So good luck to our lads and everyone who makes it happen...Because our future is in their hands....Or should I say at their feet.
If it's true that sales from academy talents exceeds £400k/year on average then that's excellent. I know there's sales going on of players who never make the first team, but without much knowledge I would have guessed that the average would be lower than this. Have we made £4m on player sales from the academy in the last 10 years?
 
If it's true that sales from academy talents exceeds £400k/year on average then that's excellent. I know there's sales going on of players who never make the first team, but without much knowledge I would have guessed that the average would be lower than this. Have we made £4m on player sales from the academy in the last 10 years?

I doubt it over 10 years but we also didn't spend as much 10 years ago.

I was thinking more of recent times, say 5/6 years. The production line took time to get up to speed but players like Bentley had more than paid their way with his penalty saves and his clean sheets etc.

We got more for Dru than most claimed on here and we have several current players who are also worth a lot more than the prices quoted on Shrimperzone
 
Right that's fair. I'm not sure on the exact amount we got for Bentley, but £750k was mentioned here. With £500k for Dru if memory serves me correctly, and £175k for a 16yo to City, we might be there or thereabouts to have made £2m in the last 5 years.
 
Right that's fair. I'm not sure on the exact amount we got for Bentley, but £750k was mentioned here. With £500k for Dru if memory serves me correctly, and £175k for a 16yo to City, we might be there or thereabouts to have made £2m in the last 5 years.

Bentley was over £1m and more for the sell on option being cashed in, Payne £600,000 and Dru way more than £500,000.
 
Bentley was over £1m and more for the sell on option being cashed in, Payne £600,000 and Dru way more than £500,000.
Good point on Payne, had forgotten that one. You're right then, a profitable academy over the past 5 years, very impressive stuff.
 
Finlay Burns still progressing well at Man City, was in their U21
side in the 3-0 win at Mansfield in the EFL Trophy the other night.
 
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