This thread is here to discuss academy players and academy news. As we seem to have quite a few quality players coming through the ranks thought this would be a usefull thread.
I will post and update all the results (and league tables) in this post and links to the match report....I will also include TLW match reports as they seem to give better match reports than the official site.
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Results
FA Academy Under 18s League
18/08/07- Aston Villa 5-0 Liverpool Match Report
08/09/07- Nottingham Forest 0-3 Liverpool (Pourie x2, MacKay Steven) Match Report
15/09/07- Liverpool 2-0 Sheffield Wednesday (Crowther, Amoo) Match Report | TLW Report
22/09/07- Middlesborough 4-2 Liverpool (Pourie x2) Match Report
29/09/07- Stoke 2-3 Liverpool (Eccleston x2, Kennedy) Match Report
06/10/07- Liverpool 2-0 Blackburn (Ajdarevic, Eccleston) Match Report | TLW Report
13/10/07- Wolves 1-4 Liverpool (Amoo x2, Eccleston, MacKay-Steven) Match Report
20/10/07- Liverpool 2-2 Crewe (Eccleston, Collins) Match Report
24/10/07- Liverpool 3-0 Sunderland (Amoo x2, Eccleston) Match Report | TLW Report | Watch Highlights
27/10/07- West Brom 0-0 Liverpool Match Report | Watch Highlights
03/11/07- Liverpool 1-1 Everton (Ajdarevic) Match Report | TLW Report
10/11/07- Liverpool 5-2 Bolton (Amoo x2, Eccleston x2, Pourie) Match Report | TLW Report
17/11/07- Liverpool 0-3 Man City Match Report | TLW Report
01/12/07- Man Utd 2-2 Liverpool (Eccleston, Pourie) Match Report | Milky's Match Thread | Watch Highlights
08/12/07- Crewe Alexandra 1-3 Liverpool (Pourie x2, Eccleston) Match Report
15/12/07- Liverpool 5-0 West Brom (Pourie, Eccleston x3, Collins) Match Report | TLW Report
05/01/08- Bolton 1-1 Liverpool (Kelly) Match Report
11/01/08- Everton 3-3 Liverpool (MacKay-Steven, Eccleston, Collins) Match Report
19/01/08- Liverpool 0-1 Man Utd Match Thread | TLW Report
26/01/08- Man City v Liverpool Postponed
02/02/08- Liverpool 0-1 Huddersfield Match Report | Daily Post Report
09/02/08- Liverpool 1-1 Stoke (Kennedy) Match Report | Daily Post Report
16/02/08- Blackburn 0-2 Liverpool (Pourie, Amoo) Match Report | Daily Post Report
23/02/08- Newcastle 0-0 Liverpool Match Report | Daily Post Report
01/03/08- Liverpool 1-1 Wolves (Irwin) Match Report | Daily Post Report
15/03/08- Liverpool 3-0 Barnsley (Ajdarevic, Pepper, Eccleston) Match Report | Daily Post Report
05/04/08- Liverpool 0-1 Derby Match Report | Daily Post Report
09/04/08- Man City 1-1 Liverpool (Irwin) Match Report | Daily Post Report
12/04/08- Leeds 1-0 Liverpool Match Report | Daily Post Report
------------------------------------
Youth Cup
3rd Round:
12/12/07- Wycombe Wanderers 0-5 Liverpool (Amoo, Eccleston x2, Pourie, MacKay-Steven) Match Report | Daily Post Report
4th Round:
29/01/08- Liverpool 1-0 Arsenal (O.G) Match Report | Daily Post Report
5th Round:
13/02/08- Sunderland 5-3 Liverpool Match Report | Daily Post Report
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Table
------------------------------------
Player Statistics
FA Academy Under 18s League
Youth Cup
------------------------------------
Hughie Mcauley discussing the current crop of youngsters and the youth cup defence.
------------------------------------
I said i would review the Academy 07/08 season a while ago but just never got round to it but seeing as Niko Bellic is boating with Brucie today i thought i would bash this out. All the tables and stats have been updated for this season (and i have no idea why Stoke have only played 27 games while the rest have played 28).
For those of you who don't know, Sean was involved in a car crash where 2 of his friends were killed and Sean was left in a critical state [link]. The latest news we have heard that Sean is making a steady recovery and the doctors believe he will make a full recovery in time. Lets hope that this is the case as Sean was a popular member of the squad and a genuine prospect for Liverpool FC. Also i’d like to take this opportunity to pass on our condolences again to the families who lost someone in the crash.
It's been an interesting season at the Academy this year, the boys started with a 5-0 defeat to Villa and ended the season with a 1-0 loss at Leeds. Although the season may of got of to a bad start and ended very badly with only 2 wins after X-Mas, the under 18's did have a purple patch after the heavy Villa defeat. The under 18's side finished the season in 5th and 24 points of the leader, which is very disappointing as up until X-Mas the side had a chance of taking the title. Although we shouldn't worry about this as at the start of the season Piet Hamberg who is the Technical Manager of the Academy said it is all about developing the young players and not about winning trophies and he should be judged by how many players make the 1st team.
Although the team may not have had the best results there have been lots of positives to come out of the season. Dean Bouzanis the young aussie goalie we signed last summer has had some impressive displays and made the step up to reserve team level, although he needs to work on his kicking. Captain, Steve Irwin has been very consistent and has been very versatile playing in every position except upfront, he may not grab the headlines but i think possibly a new lil carra in this lad. Highdale and Adjarevic partnership in the middle of midfield was impressive and they formed a good partnership together. Adjarevic being one of the stand out players this season with his pin point passing and his thunderbolt shots from his left foot. David Amoo who was bought as a striker had been given the job to play on the right wing and the lad did well, although his formed dipped towards the end of the season but he will be one to watch for next season. Finally the 2 strikers: Pourie and Eccleston who got off to a flyer and caused defensives all kinds of problems. They’re both big, powerful centre forwards with pace to burn and they scored 30 goals between them in all competitions and it will be interesting to see how they combine next season.
Also i'd like to give a quick mention to Joe Kennedy who started every single league and cup game this season and was the only player to do so. Joe was a boyhood blue but since joining the reds he has shown a real passion for the shirt and has done well in defence, he struggled at times this season but this is probably down to having so many different partners at the heart of our defence and not being allowed to start a good partnership and get the understanding needed.
Sadly this season the Academy players fell short in the Youth Cup in the 5th Round against Sunderland. After winning the cup 2 seasons running they were looking for a record 3rd consecutive win but sadly they came up against an inform Martyn Waghorn who bagged a brace and showed why he already has had a taste of the 1st team at Sunderland. Although we did beat Arsenal 1-0, a team that Wenger described as "my best crop of youngsters i've ever had", so that shows that they can mix it with the best of them but are just too inconsistent. A problem i felt the boys had was the constant tinkering, for example when we played Sunderland we had Eccleston and Amoo on the wings and Pacheco (who was bought in just for this game) and Pourie upfront, so in theory there were 4 strikers playing. Hughie Mcauley should have kept faith with his league side that did so well against Arsenal in the previous round.
Nathan Eccleston
For me this was the obvious choice, even though he is a Manc like Shaggy. Nathan who started the season on the bench but when given the chance he took it by scoring 13 goals in just 14 league games. This lad has the potential to be a star, he has all the attributes needed: pace, strength, skill, finishing, passing and he has the confidence. Something i noticed is that Nathan gets into goal-scoring positions so many times in games and even when he was having an off day he keeps getting into the positions which shows alot of character. He also has the ability to create chances for himself using his pace, power and skill, which is very encouraging. At the start of the season i likened him to Stan Collymore and i think that comparison is fair as the boy really has it all, i just hope he has the mental attributes to take him to the next level.
Hmmm, sadly it seems the off field trouble runs throughout the club with the owners at war, Rafa's future unclear, ladies team cull players and manager and now the Academy seem to be at it. There have been plenty of rumours doing the rounds with apparently coaches falling out with each other and players unhappy with each other. It seems to me that people seem to be passing the blame on to others to why the results went south after X-Mas, rumours of players being upset with Pourie for ball hogging have surfaced with the German striker being dropped towards the end of the season. With Ajdarevic being told he can leave their seems to be some truth in the rumours as Ajdarevic has been one of the top performers this season and i can't see how or why he would be asked to leave other than some kind of falling out but I wish him the best of luck at his new club and I hope this doesn’t come back to haunt us. Other players leaving are Mattone Awang, Ben Parsonage and Michael Collins.
It is hard to review the season with LFC.TV just showing 10 min highlight packages of each game and i have contacted them (a few times) asking if they plan on showing academy games live in the future but sadly they have never responded to my enquiries.
Adam Pepper
The lad that every big club in England wanted to sign when he was just 11, was dubbed the 'New Rooney' by the press. Not much pressure for an 11-year-old ey?? Well the bluenose ended up joining the reds, and scored 16 goals for the under 16's this season. He played a few games for the under 18's already this season and scored a goal against Barnsley. His preferred position is just behind the striker and has the potential and skill to shine next season, lets just hope he lives up to expectations.
Lauri Dalla Valle
The lad who spent 4 months at Inter and scored for fun, he got homesick and when back to Finland before joining the reds (no doubt his dad- massive Inter fan will be happy). Lauri joined us in January and has since scored 5 goals in 6 matches for the under 16’s and made a sub appearance for the under 18’s against Man City. Again his best position is just behind the striker, so it will be interesting to see who gets to play in that position next season. Lauri is known for scoring lots of goals from midfield, it will be interesting to see how he adapts to playing at a higher level next season, so watch out for the fin in flashy white boots.
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Player Profiles
Dean Bouzanis
Dean is an 17 year old Aussie goalkeeper. He is a 1st year at the academy and has already established himself as the no.1 for the under 18's side. He was bought from Australia in the summer through a reccomondation of Agent in Australia. Dean has the potential to go on and challange for a first team place if he continues to progress well at the academy and reserve level. If you play your cards right be becomes a Wonderkid in Football Manager 2008.
Steven Irwin
No he is not a relation of Dennis. He is 17 and is an versitile player, he can play anywhere along the back 4 and in midfield. He has mainly played as a wing back this season for the academy. He is a local lad and is now the under 18's captain.
Mattone Awang
With a name like that, I for one hope he makes it. Matt is 18 and a 2nd year academy player. He is a versitile defender and has played every position along the back four sometime this season. He is another local lad and has become a good utility player at the academy.
Joe Kennedy
Joe is a beast of a player. He is well built and very strong and poowerfull in the air. He is normally a centre back but has played at wing back this season. He is another local lad and growing up he supported the bitters. At 16 Joe has already shown great potential in the academy and is a possible star of the future.
Shane O'Connor
Was bought in the summer from Cork City as a midfielder. Although this season he has mainly played as a defender. Shane has already represented Ireland Under-17s and has been a key player for under 18's and will be looking to breaking into the reserve side later this year.
Daniel Ayala
Sadly not a relation of Roberto, infact he isn't even Argentinian. We signed the young spaniard from Seville in the summer and he is a big powerfull centre back. Although he has struggled at times in games he has shown glimpses of why he is so highly rated by Seville and no doubt given more time to settle down he can turn into a quality player.
Sean Highdale
Sean is scousetastic! He is 16 and a hardworking central midfielder who always gives 100%, he could be likened to Jay Spearing in his never say die attitude. Sean has already represented England Under 16's and is a player to keep an eye on in the future.
Astrit Ajdarevic
This younge Swede is an 2nd year at the academy and has already tasted success by helping the team win the youth cup last year. He is likened to Patrick Berger in looks and in playing style and with his pin point passing he has split open many a defence. He has been the stand out player in the academy and is pushing for a reserve team place.
Gerrado Bruna
Dubbed the new 'Lionel Messi' by sections of the spanish press. The young Argie was bought from Real Madrid in the summer and is a tricky winger, who has good technique and a bag of tricks. Gerrado has unfairly had alot of pressure put on him due to his similarities to Messi but he should be given time to settle in and hopefully progress to become a star of the future.
http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/d...les/MacKay.jpg Gary MacKay Steven
Gary was bought to the academy as a 2nd year in the summer from Ross County. He is a tricky winger who has an eye for a goal. He is left footed and is a good dribbler of the ball but will need to work on the physical side of his game to progress in the future.
http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/d...files/Alex.jpg Alex Kacaniklic
Alex is 16 and was bought in the summer from Helsingborg. Alex is a tricky winger who has good technique and loves to take on defenders. He is highly rated in Sweden and with lots of competition for a place on the left wing will have to take his chance once given it.
http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/d...files/Amoo.jpg David Amoo
Dubbed the new 'Emile Heskey', David is a beast of a player. At only 16 is strong as an ox and has pace to burn. David was bought from Millwall in the summer and his best position is a striker but with so many talanted strikers available he has been deployed on the wing at times. He has been ever present in the academy side this season and is a really exciting prospect, lets just hope he isn't a confidence player like big Emile.
http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/d.../Eccleston.jpg Nathan Eccleston
Nathan is only 16 and is the top goalscorer at the academy this season. Nathan is a Manc and has already represented England at youth level. Nathan has great technique and pace to burn, he has been likened to Stan Collymore, lets just hope he has a better head on his shoulder. Nathan is probably the most exciting prospect at the academy and one to watch out for.
http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/d...les/Pourie.jpg Marvin Pourie
Marvin arrived at the academy in the summer from Borussia Dortmund. He has made a big impact since arriving and has already made the step up to reserve team football. Marvin is another strong striker who isn't short of pace and is a fox in the box type of striker. He is one to watch out for in the future.
Daniel Pachecho
Daniel is another product of the Barca youth system that has been poached from under their noses. At 5ft 2 he is even smaller than Rocket. But what he lacks in height he makes up for with skill, pace and technique. Daniel is a very talented and highly rated at by staff, he is a striker who has already been invloved with the reserve team squad on a regular basis and a player that Rafa has high hopes for.
http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/d...es/Collins.jpg Michael Collins
Michael is 17 and a striker who has an eye for an goal. He has mainly been used as a impact sub this season. Michael has already played for Republic of Ireland Under 17's team. His opportunities at the academy have been limited due to the wealth of striking talent already available.
*******Potential New Signings*******
Pajtim Kasami (Grasshopper Zurich) Defender SIGNED! link
Christopher Buchtmann (Borussia Dortmund) Defender SIGNED! link
Andre Wisdom (Bradford) Midfielder SIGNED! link
Alex Cooper (Ross County) Midfielder SIGNED! link
Lauri Dalla Valle (Jippo?) Attacking Midfielder SIGNED! link
Matt Hughes (Rochdale) Defender link
Tim Bjorkstrom (IF Brommapojkarna) Defender link
Simon Skrabb (Jaro) Midfielder link
Matt Clayton (Crewe) Midfielder link
John Bostock (Crystal Palace) Midfielder link
Pablo Sarabia (Real Madrid) Striker link
Brent McGrath (Brondby IF) Striker link
Markus Johansson (Hagahojden) Striker link
Daniel 'I've got a needle dick' Opare (Ashanti) Defender Signed for Real Madrid link
John 'I'm a ****Face' Cofie (Burnley) Striker Signed for the Mancs link
I will post and update all the results (and league tables) in this post and links to the match report....I will also include TLW match reports as they seem to give better match reports than the official site.
------------------------------------
Results
FA Academy Under 18s League
18/08/07- Aston Villa 5-0 Liverpool Match Report
08/09/07- Nottingham Forest 0-3 Liverpool (Pourie x2, MacKay Steven) Match Report
15/09/07- Liverpool 2-0 Sheffield Wednesday (Crowther, Amoo) Match Report | TLW Report
22/09/07- Middlesborough 4-2 Liverpool (Pourie x2) Match Report
29/09/07- Stoke 2-3 Liverpool (Eccleston x2, Kennedy) Match Report
06/10/07- Liverpool 2-0 Blackburn (Ajdarevic, Eccleston) Match Report | TLW Report
13/10/07- Wolves 1-4 Liverpool (Amoo x2, Eccleston, MacKay-Steven) Match Report
20/10/07- Liverpool 2-2 Crewe (Eccleston, Collins) Match Report
24/10/07- Liverpool 3-0 Sunderland (Amoo x2, Eccleston) Match Report | TLW Report | Watch Highlights
27/10/07- West Brom 0-0 Liverpool Match Report | Watch Highlights
03/11/07- Liverpool 1-1 Everton (Ajdarevic) Match Report | TLW Report
10/11/07- Liverpool 5-2 Bolton (Amoo x2, Eccleston x2, Pourie) Match Report | TLW Report
17/11/07- Liverpool 0-3 Man City Match Report | TLW Report
01/12/07- Man Utd 2-2 Liverpool (Eccleston, Pourie) Match Report | Milky's Match Thread | Watch Highlights
08/12/07- Crewe Alexandra 1-3 Liverpool (Pourie x2, Eccleston) Match Report
15/12/07- Liverpool 5-0 West Brom (Pourie, Eccleston x3, Collins) Match Report | TLW Report
05/01/08- Bolton 1-1 Liverpool (Kelly) Match Report
11/01/08- Everton 3-3 Liverpool (MacKay-Steven, Eccleston, Collins) Match Report
19/01/08- Liverpool 0-1 Man Utd Match Thread | TLW Report
26/01/08- Man City v Liverpool Postponed
02/02/08- Liverpool 0-1 Huddersfield Match Report | Daily Post Report
09/02/08- Liverpool 1-1 Stoke (Kennedy) Match Report | Daily Post Report
16/02/08- Blackburn 0-2 Liverpool (Pourie, Amoo) Match Report | Daily Post Report
23/02/08- Newcastle 0-0 Liverpool Match Report | Daily Post Report
01/03/08- Liverpool 1-1 Wolves (Irwin) Match Report | Daily Post Report
15/03/08- Liverpool 3-0 Barnsley (Ajdarevic, Pepper, Eccleston) Match Report | Daily Post Report
05/04/08- Liverpool 0-1 Derby Match Report | Daily Post Report
09/04/08- Man City 1-1 Liverpool (Irwin) Match Report | Daily Post Report
12/04/08- Leeds 1-0 Liverpool Match Report | Daily Post Report
------------------------------------
Youth Cup
3rd Round:
12/12/07- Wycombe Wanderers 0-5 Liverpool (Amoo, Eccleston x2, Pourie, MacKay-Steven) Match Report | Daily Post Report
4th Round:
29/01/08- Liverpool 1-0 Arsenal (O.G) Match Report | Daily Post Report
5th Round:
13/02/08- Sunderland 5-3 Liverpool Match Report | Daily Post Report
------------------------------------
Table
------------------------------------
Player Statistics
FA Academy Under 18s League
Youth Cup
------------------------------------
Hughie Mcauley discussing the current crop of youngsters and the youth cup defence.
------------------------------------
LFC Academy 07/08 Season Review
I said i would review the Academy 07/08 season a while ago but just never got round to it but seeing as Niko Bellic is boating with Brucie today i thought i would bash this out. All the tables and stats have been updated for this season (and i have no idea why Stoke have only played 27 games while the rest have played 28).
Sean Highdale
For those of you who don't know, Sean was involved in a car crash where 2 of his friends were killed and Sean was left in a critical state [link]. The latest news we have heard that Sean is making a steady recovery and the doctors believe he will make a full recovery in time. Lets hope that this is the case as Sean was a popular member of the squad and a genuine prospect for Liverpool FC. Also i’d like to take this opportunity to pass on our condolences again to the families who lost someone in the crash.
Get well soon Sean lad.
YNWA.
Academy Season 07/08
YNWA.
Academy Season 07/08
It's been an interesting season at the Academy this year, the boys started with a 5-0 defeat to Villa and ended the season with a 1-0 loss at Leeds. Although the season may of got of to a bad start and ended very badly with only 2 wins after X-Mas, the under 18's did have a purple patch after the heavy Villa defeat. The under 18's side finished the season in 5th and 24 points of the leader, which is very disappointing as up until X-Mas the side had a chance of taking the title. Although we shouldn't worry about this as at the start of the season Piet Hamberg who is the Technical Manager of the Academy said it is all about developing the young players and not about winning trophies and he should be judged by how many players make the 1st team.
Although the team may not have had the best results there have been lots of positives to come out of the season. Dean Bouzanis the young aussie goalie we signed last summer has had some impressive displays and made the step up to reserve team level, although he needs to work on his kicking. Captain, Steve Irwin has been very consistent and has been very versatile playing in every position except upfront, he may not grab the headlines but i think possibly a new lil carra in this lad. Highdale and Adjarevic partnership in the middle of midfield was impressive and they formed a good partnership together. Adjarevic being one of the stand out players this season with his pin point passing and his thunderbolt shots from his left foot. David Amoo who was bought as a striker had been given the job to play on the right wing and the lad did well, although his formed dipped towards the end of the season but he will be one to watch for next season. Finally the 2 strikers: Pourie and Eccleston who got off to a flyer and caused defensives all kinds of problems. They’re both big, powerful centre forwards with pace to burn and they scored 30 goals between them in all competitions and it will be interesting to see how they combine next season.
Also i'd like to give a quick mention to Joe Kennedy who started every single league and cup game this season and was the only player to do so. Joe was a boyhood blue but since joining the reds he has shown a real passion for the shirt and has done well in defence, he struggled at times this season but this is probably down to having so many different partners at the heart of our defence and not being allowed to start a good partnership and get the understanding needed.
Sadly this season the Academy players fell short in the Youth Cup in the 5th Round against Sunderland. After winning the cup 2 seasons running they were looking for a record 3rd consecutive win but sadly they came up against an inform Martyn Waghorn who bagged a brace and showed why he already has had a taste of the 1st team at Sunderland. Although we did beat Arsenal 1-0, a team that Wenger described as "my best crop of youngsters i've ever had", so that shows that they can mix it with the best of them but are just too inconsistent. A problem i felt the boys had was the constant tinkering, for example when we played Sunderland we had Eccleston and Amoo on the wings and Pacheco (who was bought in just for this game) and Pourie upfront, so in theory there were 4 strikers playing. Hughie Mcauley should have kept faith with his league side that did so well against Arsenal in the previous round.
Academy Player of the Season
Nathan Eccleston
For me this was the obvious choice, even though he is a Manc like Shaggy. Nathan who started the season on the bench but when given the chance he took it by scoring 13 goals in just 14 league games. This lad has the potential to be a star, he has all the attributes needed: pace, strength, skill, finishing, passing and he has the confidence. Something i noticed is that Nathan gets into goal-scoring positions so many times in games and even when he was having an off day he keeps getting into the positions which shows alot of character. He also has the ability to create chances for himself using his pace, power and skill, which is very encouraging. At the start of the season i likened him to Stan Collymore and i think that comparison is fair as the boy really has it all, i just hope he has the mental attributes to take him to the next level.
Rift Rumours & Players Leaving
Hmmm, sadly it seems the off field trouble runs throughout the club with the owners at war, Rafa's future unclear, ladies team cull players and manager and now the Academy seem to be at it. There have been plenty of rumours doing the rounds with apparently coaches falling out with each other and players unhappy with each other. It seems to me that people seem to be passing the blame on to others to why the results went south after X-Mas, rumours of players being upset with Pourie for ball hogging have surfaced with the German striker being dropped towards the end of the season. With Ajdarevic being told he can leave their seems to be some truth in the rumours as Ajdarevic has been one of the top performers this season and i can't see how or why he would be asked to leave other than some kind of falling out but I wish him the best of luck at his new club and I hope this doesn’t come back to haunt us. Other players leaving are Mattone Awang, Ben Parsonage and Michael Collins.
Academy games on TV?
It is hard to review the season with LFC.TV just showing 10 min highlight packages of each game and i have contacted them (a few times) asking if they plan on showing academy games live in the future but sadly they have never responded to my enquiries.
The Future: Academy squad for 2008-09
1st Years
Christopher Buchtmann
Deale Chamberlain
Alex Cooper
Lauri Dalla Valle
Hakan Duyan
James Ellison
Thomas Ince
Pajtim Kasami
Jack Metcalf
Adam Pepper
Michael Roberts
2nd Years
Steven Irwin (c)
David Amoo
Nathan Eccleston
Sean Highdale
Joe Kennedy
Chris Oldfield
Marvin Pourie
Alex Kacaniklic
3rd Years
Gary MacKay-Steven
Shane O'Connor
Michael Scott
Newbies to look out for:
1st Years
Christopher Buchtmann
Deale Chamberlain
Alex Cooper
Lauri Dalla Valle
Hakan Duyan
James Ellison
Thomas Ince
Pajtim Kasami
Jack Metcalf
Adam Pepper
Michael Roberts
2nd Years
Steven Irwin (c)
David Amoo
Nathan Eccleston
Sean Highdale
Joe Kennedy
Chris Oldfield
Marvin Pourie
Alex Kacaniklic
3rd Years
Gary MacKay-Steven
Shane O'Connor
Michael Scott
Newbies to look out for:
Adam Pepper
The lad that every big club in England wanted to sign when he was just 11, was dubbed the 'New Rooney' by the press. Not much pressure for an 11-year-old ey?? Well the bluenose ended up joining the reds, and scored 16 goals for the under 16's this season. He played a few games for the under 18's already this season and scored a goal against Barnsley. His preferred position is just behind the striker and has the potential and skill to shine next season, lets just hope he lives up to expectations.
Lauri Dalla Valle
The lad who spent 4 months at Inter and scored for fun, he got homesick and when back to Finland before joining the reds (no doubt his dad- massive Inter fan will be happy). Lauri joined us in January and has since scored 5 goals in 6 matches for the under 16’s and made a sub appearance for the under 18’s against Man City. Again his best position is just behind the striker, so it will be interesting to see who gets to play in that position next season. Lauri is known for scoring lots of goals from midfield, it will be interesting to see how he adapts to playing at a higher level next season, so watch out for the fin in flashy white boots.
------------------------------------
Player Profiles
Dean BouzanisDean is an 17 year old Aussie goalkeeper. He is a 1st year at the academy and has already established himself as the no.1 for the under 18's side. He was bought from Australia in the summer through a reccomondation of Agent in Australia. Dean has the potential to go on and challange for a first team place if he continues to progress well at the academy and reserve level. If you play your cards right be becomes a Wonderkid in Football Manager 2008.
Steven IrwinNo he is not a relation of Dennis. He is 17 and is an versitile player, he can play anywhere along the back 4 and in midfield. He has mainly played as a wing back this season for the academy. He is a local lad and is now the under 18's captain.
Mattone AwangWith a name like that, I for one hope he makes it. Matt is 18 and a 2nd year academy player. He is a versitile defender and has played every position along the back four sometime this season. He is another local lad and has become a good utility player at the academy.
Joe KennedyJoe is a beast of a player. He is well built and very strong and poowerfull in the air. He is normally a centre back but has played at wing back this season. He is another local lad and growing up he supported the bitters. At 16 Joe has already shown great potential in the academy and is a possible star of the future.
Shane O'ConnorWas bought in the summer from Cork City as a midfielder. Although this season he has mainly played as a defender. Shane has already represented Ireland Under-17s and has been a key player for under 18's and will be looking to breaking into the reserve side later this year.
Daniel Ayala
Sadly not a relation of Roberto, infact he isn't even Argentinian. We signed the young spaniard from Seville in the summer and he is a big powerfull centre back. Although he has struggled at times in games he has shown glimpses of why he is so highly rated by Seville and no doubt given more time to settle down he can turn into a quality player.
Sean HighdaleSean is scousetastic! He is 16 and a hardworking central midfielder who always gives 100%, he could be likened to Jay Spearing in his never say die attitude. Sean has already represented England Under 16's and is a player to keep an eye on in the future.
Astrit AjdarevicThis younge Swede is an 2nd year at the academy and has already tasted success by helping the team win the youth cup last year. He is likened to Patrick Berger in looks and in playing style and with his pin point passing he has split open many a defence. He has been the stand out player in the academy and is pushing for a reserve team place.
Gerrado BrunaDubbed the new 'Lionel Messi' by sections of the spanish press. The young Argie was bought from Real Madrid in the summer and is a tricky winger, who has good technique and a bag of tricks. Gerrado has unfairly had alot of pressure put on him due to his similarities to Messi but he should be given time to settle in and hopefully progress to become a star of the future.
http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/d...les/MacKay.jpg Gary MacKay Steven
Gary was bought to the academy as a 2nd year in the summer from Ross County. He is a tricky winger who has an eye for a goal. He is left footed and is a good dribbler of the ball but will need to work on the physical side of his game to progress in the future.
http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/d...files/Alex.jpg Alex Kacaniklic
Alex is 16 and was bought in the summer from Helsingborg. Alex is a tricky winger who has good technique and loves to take on defenders. He is highly rated in Sweden and with lots of competition for a place on the left wing will have to take his chance once given it.
http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/d...files/Amoo.jpg David Amoo
Dubbed the new 'Emile Heskey', David is a beast of a player. At only 16 is strong as an ox and has pace to burn. David was bought from Millwall in the summer and his best position is a striker but with so many talanted strikers available he has been deployed on the wing at times. He has been ever present in the academy side this season and is a really exciting prospect, lets just hope he isn't a confidence player like big Emile.
http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/d.../Eccleston.jpg Nathan Eccleston
Nathan is only 16 and is the top goalscorer at the academy this season. Nathan is a Manc and has already represented England at youth level. Nathan has great technique and pace to burn, he has been likened to Stan Collymore, lets just hope he has a better head on his shoulder. Nathan is probably the most exciting prospect at the academy and one to watch out for.
http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/d...les/Pourie.jpg Marvin Pourie
Marvin arrived at the academy in the summer from Borussia Dortmund. He has made a big impact since arriving and has already made the step up to reserve team football. Marvin is another strong striker who isn't short of pace and is a fox in the box type of striker. He is one to watch out for in the future.
Daniel Pachecho
Daniel is another product of the Barca youth system that has been poached from under their noses. At 5ft 2 he is even smaller than Rocket. But what he lacks in height he makes up for with skill, pace and technique. Daniel is a very talented and highly rated at by staff, he is a striker who has already been invloved with the reserve team squad on a regular basis and a player that Rafa has high hopes for.
http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/d...es/Collins.jpg Michael Collins
Michael is 17 and a striker who has an eye for an goal. He has mainly been used as a impact sub this season. Michael has already played for Republic of Ireland Under 17's team. His opportunities at the academy have been limited due to the wealth of striking talent already available.
*******Potential New Signings*******
Pajtim Kasami (Grasshopper Zurich) Defender SIGNED! link
Christopher Buchtmann (Borussia Dortmund) Defender SIGNED! link
Andre Wisdom (Bradford) Midfielder SIGNED! link
Alex Cooper (Ross County) Midfielder SIGNED! link
Lauri Dalla Valle (Jippo?) Attacking Midfielder SIGNED! link
Matt Hughes (Rochdale) Defender link
Tim Bjorkstrom (IF Brommapojkarna) Defender link
Simon Skrabb (Jaro) Midfielder link
Matt Clayton (Crewe) Midfielder link
John Bostock (Crystal Palace) Midfielder link
Pablo Sarabia (Real Madrid) Striker link
Brent McGrath (Brondby IF) Striker link
Markus Johansson (Hagahojden) Striker link
Daniel 'I've got a needle dick' Opare (Ashanti) Defender Signed for Real Madrid link
John 'I'm a ****Face' Cofie (Burnley) Striker Signed for the Mancs link
so bitter 
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