When The Kids Are United (Marty Looks To The Future)

I think the major talking point of this season has been the arrival of so many academy graduates on the scene: Reid, Collison, Tomkins, Sears, Stanislas, Payne, Hines, N’Gala, Spense, Widdowson and Stech have all at least appeared on the bench; but who else is making waves amongst the juniors?

Traditionally we don’t do very well in the reserve league, but many of the above mentioned played a big part in our finishing second last season. This year we sit third, with a team made up mainly of the youth team. N’Gala has formed a solid partnership with Eyjolfson at the back, where Oliver Lee has recently shown his father Rob’s adaptability by filling in at right back - he’s usually a midfielder. If we are not already blessed enough at centre half, Matthew Fry is a left footer who has played well at left back.

Two young wingers who have benefitted from Zola’s wish to improve players adaptability are Danny Kearns, a creative N.Irish lad, and Anthony Edgar, a left winger who recently came on to play at the point of the diamond and score a good goal when Stanislas got a hat trick. Bajner is improving and last week the best player on the pitch against Stoke reserves was Zavon Hines, given our problems up front I think he may well get a place on the bench this weekend. Add to those Jordan Brown, Ryan O’Neill, Georg Grasser and several younger lads, Okus, Montano, Sanchez, and the future looks bright.

Of course most of them won’t make it at the very top level, but many will have professional careers, which should make it even more likely that promising youngsters will want to come to the Boleyn. Apparently the 15 and 16 year olds are an exceptional bunch and we have already seen Robert Hall announce his arrival with goals for the reserves.

The future's bright, the future's Claret & Blue!