The Next Generation

Whilst Mathew Briggs may have been grabbing the headlines on the final day of the season by breaking Aaron Lennon’s Premiership record of being the youngest player to feature in a top flight match – Briggs’ appearance was merely a continuation of the approach that has been successfully adopted throughout the youth ranks at the Club.

Throughout the various Academy age groups, players’ capabilities are continually tested, with the potential stars of the future often playing a group higher than their actual age.

“We use a similar model to Arsenal, where all through the youth ranks, our players are playing a year above their natural level,” Reserve Team Manager, Billy McKinlay explained. “The Under-16s play at Under-18 level, the Under-18s play Reserve Team football and the Reserves are either squad players or out on loan. Basically the young players are getting challenged all the time.

“If a player is ever going to be good enough to play for our First Team, even though they might be playing against older players and might struggle in the latter part of the game, we need to see that they have the quality required to get into the First Team squad.

“For instance, in the last Reserve match of the season against Chelsea, Matthew Briggs put in a decent performance. He’s a 16-year-old boy who played the last four or five games and hasn’t looked out of place. In playing against the likes of Ben Sahar, who is an Israel international, players like Briggs are getting exposed to a certain level of opponent they would never normally face.”

Indeed, last season’s Reserve side featured a high number of young players which, according to McKinlay, can only be beneficial to their development.

“My experience with young players is they don’t get exposed early to big enough questions or scenarios,” he said. “The sooner they are challenged in their development, the longer they have to adjust. It’s about taking a long-term view. Sometimes it’s better to lose having fast-tracked a number of young players in the line-up than fielding a 20-year-old who’s never going to play for the First Team.

“Would you rather win a game with an experienced team, or lose or draw and improve your young players in the process? In the long-term we will have gained an experienced young player who is a lot more valuable to the Club, either as an addition to the First Team or someone who can be sold.

“Of course, under no circumstances are Ray Lewington and I happy unless we get both a performance and result – not just one or the other. We must get the lot and the players are under no illusions – they are required to win and play well.”