The Academy Cast of 2021/22

The club is delighted to announce that an impressive total of nine players have signed scholarship agreements and will feature for our Under-18s next season.

Fulhamfc.com caught up with the new scholars and U16/17s Coach Dan Thomas, who gave us the lowdown on the recruits.

Michael Allen:

Age joined FFC: U9

Position: Goalkeeper

Football idol: Jan Oblak

Positive attribute: Shot stopping

Academy highlight: Getting a scholarship deal at Fulham

“Michael is a goalkeeper who has been on the Coombe's school programme for the last five years, so he’s been training as part of the full-time programme. He’s come through and is a reliable, athletic goalkeeper who Vic [Bettinelli] and Geoff [Warne] have worked very hard with over the years. He’s been making good, steady progress.”

Harvey Araujo:

Age joined FFC: 12

Position: Left-back/centre-back

Football idol: David Alaba

Positive attribute: Vision and 1v1 defending

Academy highlight: Playing in the FA Youth Cup

“Harvey's made really good progress with us, spending most of last season with the Under-18s. He picked up some great experience and has been involved in England squads in the past and he’s a very solid defender. Strong, reads the game well, good in 1v1 situations, confident and calm in possession. He’s somebody who has done particularly well through the Youth Development Phase (YDP).”

Caelan Avenall:

Age joined FFC: U9

Position: Centre-back/right-back

Football idol: Sergio Ramos

Positive attribute: Driving with the ball

Academy highlight: Playing in the Floodlit Cup

“Caelan’s been with us all the way through, since Under-9s level. He was an attacking player/striker/winger through some of his younger years. He then converted to a centre-back at Under-14s and has really flourished in that position for the last couple of years.

"Caelan’s got good leadership qualities and is very competitive. He’s a good defender and very comfortable on the ball, often taking it and driving forward into midfield. He’s willing to take a risk and I’m really looking forward to seeing how he does with the Under-18s.”

Luke Harris:

Position: Centre-midfielder

Football idol: Frank Lampard

Positive attribute: Finishing

Academy highlight: Winning the U18 Premier League South title

“Similarly to Harvey Araujo, he spent most of this season playing up. He did really well for the 18s, scored a lot of important goals and got great experience basically playing two years up. He joined us from Jersey, a place Malcolm Elias has a rich history of plucking players from. He’s one of a few who have come from that island, dating all the way back to Marlon Fossey.

“He came across at 14/15 to join the full-time Coombe's programme, so had to mature and show independence to live away from home which he’s coped with really well. Luke’s a really likeable kid who works really hard in training and loves getting in the box and scoring goals."

Delano McCoy-Splatt:

Age joined FFC: 10

Position: Centre-midfielder

Football idol: Kevin De Bruyne

Positive attribute: Turning out of tight situations and finishing

Academy highlight: Scoring in the Floodlit Cup

“Delano is another who’s been on the Coombe's programme since the Under-12s. He’s developed really well over the last couple of seasons as a midfield player who can control the game from deep or attack and get in the box and score or create goals.

"He had a really good season with the Under-16s and got himself over 10 goals and 10 assists. I’m hoping he can step up quite seamlessly this season. He comes from a footballing family, with older brothers who have played Academy football and non-league football.”

Alfie McNally:

Age joined FFC: 11

Position: Goalkeeper

Football idol: Thibaut Courtois

Positive attribute: Shot stopping

Academy highlight: Getting called up for England

“Alfie's a goalkeeper with a good personality and is confident and brave. He's also comfortable with his feet and is another who has worked a lot with Vic and Geoff. I’m excited to see how he does as a full-time player under Steve Wigley.”

The 16-year-old stopper made two appearances for the Under-18s last season and regularly made it to the bench, with Alex Borto claiming the number one spot for the majority of the campaign. He'll be hoping to play more of a role under Steve Wigley for the 2021/22 season.

Murphy Parker:

Age joined FFC: 11

Position: Centre-midfielder

Football idol: Luka Modric

Positive attribute: Forward runs and pressing

Academy highlight: Playing in the Floodlit Cup

“He’s another who has been with us for quite a while. Murphy’s also a midfield player who likes to get forward and get crosses into the box. He’s aggressive in the tackle, likes to win the ball back and finished his Under-16s season strong to get his scholarship.

"Murphy has shown his adaptability over the last few seasons by playing as a right-back, right-wing and across central midfield."

Charlie Robinson:

Age joined FFC: U9

Position: Centre-back

Football idol: John Stones

Positive attribute: Forward passing

Academy highlight: Playing in the Floodlit Cup

“Charlie has been at the club since all the way back to the Under-9s. He’s a centre-back who’s been the captain and leader of the group for many years now. He’s got great leadership qualities and is great at organising. At 6’2, Charlie’s good in the air and is a solid, old-fashioned defender, yet is comfortable on the ball and likes to look for longer passes. He looks up to Connor McAvoy and has tried to develop his passing similarly to how Connor has over the years.

“He’s a good, positive character in the group and I’m sure he’ll do really well on the full-time programme.”

Terrell Works:

Age joined FFC: U9

Position: Left winger

Football idol: Jack Grealish

Positive attribute: Dribbling and pace

Academy highlight: Scoring in a Premier League tournament against Olympiacos

“Again, Terrell goes all the way back to Under-9s. He’s an attacking player who is very adaptable and can play in a number of different positions including right-wing, left-wing, centre-forward and number 10. He’s proven that he’s capable, which will help him to get into the Under-18s team.

"He enjoys taking people on and creating chances and can finish off of both feet which is a good attribute for a young player."