Why Leeds youngsters are faring better than first team
Yorkshire Post 8/10/13
by Phil Hay and Lee Sobot
A culture of opportunity at Elland Road should allow Leeds United’s academy to match the appeal of top Premier League clubs, according to Brian McDermott.
United’s manager has paid tribute to academy boss Neil Redfearn for the work which has pushed increasing numbers of junior players towards the first-team squad at Leeds.
McDermott hinted at forthcoming senior debuts for other academy products following the rise of Alex Mowatt and the continuing development of Sam Byram and Dominic Poleon.
Mowatt, 18, made his first league appearance at Millwall on September 28 and has been retained in McDermott’s last two starting line-ups – in last Tuesday’s win at home to Bournemouth and in Saturday’s loss at Derby County.
The midfielder has mirrored Byram’s success by stepping overnight from United’s youth-team ranks to the first-team squad and his progression is symptomatic of increasing confidence in the methods of Leeds’ development programme.
Redfearn, who oversees the academy and also operates as first-team coach alongside his development-squad duties, has been widely credited with the resurgence of a set-up which grew fallow in the years after United’s insolvency in 2007.
McDermott said: “If you’re a young player and you’ve got the opportunity to be at Leeds United or to go to a Chelsea, an Arsenal, that sort of club, I know what I would do.
“I’d come to Leeds because you’ll get an opportunity.
“If they’re good enough then they’re old enough in my book and that’s always been the case.
“What Neil Redfearn’s done for this club is incredible.
“He leads the academy so well and the bridge between it and the first team is really good.
“Producing your own players is something Leeds have been fantastic at over many years and it’s great for the boys here because they all want to do well for Leeds.
“It means so much to them.”
Byram and Poleon have been members of United’s squad for more than a year but Mowatt – the club’s Under-18s captain during the 2012-13 season – integrated himself with unexpected speed last month.
Chris Dawson, the Wales Under-21 international, was seen as United’s next major prospect following his debut in a defeat to Derby County in April but he underwent shoulder surgery soon after that game and was prevented from involving himself in Leeds’ pre-season schedule.
“Chris had an injury and it’s been really tough for him,” McDermott said.
“He was out for three months but we’re hopeful that he’ll get his way back into the squad and the team soon.
“We’ve got others, younger again, who are coming through too.”
Mowatt kept his place for a third consecutive match at Derby County on Saturday in which the Whites were second-best against a Rams side inspired by the arrival of new manager Steve McClaren.
But four days earlier Mowatt shone on another difficult evening against Bournemouth.
Leeds were under pressure to win the game after losing three league matches back-to-back and Mowatt was involved in the attack which led to a decisive volley from Poleon 10 minutes from time.
Poleon’s sharp finish prevented Bournemouth from snatching a 1-1 draw from a fixture in which they were reduced to 10 men after half-an-hour by the dismissal of goalkeeper Ryan Allsop.
“The crowd have taken to Alex straight away,” McDermott said.
“You can see what he’s got – he can run, he can tackle, he can pass and he’ll score goals.
“He’s not particularly loud, quite a quiet boy, but he’s tough and he knows what he wants. He’s very composed.
“Already he seems to have a really good understanding with other players – Ross McCormack for example – and you can see the respect that the older lads have for him.
“They keep wanting to give him the ball.” Mowatt will now hope to keep his starting place for the fourth match in succession when Leeds host Birmingham City but the teenager will have quite a wait with United not back in action until a week on Sunday.
United’s manager will have had 15 days to prepare for that fixture by the time it arrives with the international break seemingly arriving at a good time for a Whites side who have lost five of their last six in all competitions and four out of their last five in the Championship.
McDermott – whose men now sit 14th – was bitterly disappointed with Saturday’s loss at Pride Park and admitted afterwards that installing a winning mentality in his players was an absolute must.
“It’s not about hoping to get a result.
“It’s about knowing that you’re going to get a result,” said McDermott.
“That’s where we’ve got to get to,” the Whites manager has also admitted he is on the look-out for new recruits with the 52-year-old expected to act in the emergency loan window during the current international break.
Only trouble is – as McDermott himself has already stated – bringing in quality football players to the club is easier said than done. But at least United’s manager can take a fair degree of comfort from the fact that the club’s Academy is providing a natural conveyor belt of ready-made talent.
Byram, Poleon, Mowatt, Dawson and before that Tom Lees have all graduated from Redfearn’s talented school to the United first team picture and McDermott says there are more to come.
The United boss added: “We think there are others on the way through and academy players can see the opportunity now.
“They can see other young boys in the team and it gives them hope.”
by Phil Hay and Lee Sobot
A culture of opportunity at Elland Road should allow Leeds United’s academy to match the appeal of top Premier League clubs, according to Brian McDermott.
United’s manager has paid tribute to academy boss Neil Redfearn for the work which has pushed increasing numbers of junior players towards the first-team squad at Leeds.
McDermott hinted at forthcoming senior debuts for other academy products following the rise of Alex Mowatt and the continuing development of Sam Byram and Dominic Poleon.
Mowatt, 18, made his first league appearance at Millwall on September 28 and has been retained in McDermott’s last two starting line-ups – in last Tuesday’s win at home to Bournemouth and in Saturday’s loss at Derby County.
The midfielder has mirrored Byram’s success by stepping overnight from United’s youth-team ranks to the first-team squad and his progression is symptomatic of increasing confidence in the methods of Leeds’ development programme.
Redfearn, who oversees the academy and also operates as first-team coach alongside his development-squad duties, has been widely credited with the resurgence of a set-up which grew fallow in the years after United’s insolvency in 2007.
McDermott said: “If you’re a young player and you’ve got the opportunity to be at Leeds United or to go to a Chelsea, an Arsenal, that sort of club, I know what I would do.
“I’d come to Leeds because you’ll get an opportunity.
“If they’re good enough then they’re old enough in my book and that’s always been the case.
“What Neil Redfearn’s done for this club is incredible.
“He leads the academy so well and the bridge between it and the first team is really good.
“Producing your own players is something Leeds have been fantastic at over many years and it’s great for the boys here because they all want to do well for Leeds.
“It means so much to them.”
Byram and Poleon have been members of United’s squad for more than a year but Mowatt – the club’s Under-18s captain during the 2012-13 season – integrated himself with unexpected speed last month.
Chris Dawson, the Wales Under-21 international, was seen as United’s next major prospect following his debut in a defeat to Derby County in April but he underwent shoulder surgery soon after that game and was prevented from involving himself in Leeds’ pre-season schedule.
“Chris had an injury and it’s been really tough for him,” McDermott said.
“He was out for three months but we’re hopeful that he’ll get his way back into the squad and the team soon.
“We’ve got others, younger again, who are coming through too.”
Mowatt kept his place for a third consecutive match at Derby County on Saturday in which the Whites were second-best against a Rams side inspired by the arrival of new manager Steve McClaren.
But four days earlier Mowatt shone on another difficult evening against Bournemouth.
Leeds were under pressure to win the game after losing three league matches back-to-back and Mowatt was involved in the attack which led to a decisive volley from Poleon 10 minutes from time.
Poleon’s sharp finish prevented Bournemouth from snatching a 1-1 draw from a fixture in which they were reduced to 10 men after half-an-hour by the dismissal of goalkeeper Ryan Allsop.
“The crowd have taken to Alex straight away,” McDermott said.
“You can see what he’s got – he can run, he can tackle, he can pass and he’ll score goals.
“He’s not particularly loud, quite a quiet boy, but he’s tough and he knows what he wants. He’s very composed.
“Already he seems to have a really good understanding with other players – Ross McCormack for example – and you can see the respect that the older lads have for him.
“They keep wanting to give him the ball.” Mowatt will now hope to keep his starting place for the fourth match in succession when Leeds host Birmingham City but the teenager will have quite a wait with United not back in action until a week on Sunday.
United’s manager will have had 15 days to prepare for that fixture by the time it arrives with the international break seemingly arriving at a good time for a Whites side who have lost five of their last six in all competitions and four out of their last five in the Championship.
McDermott – whose men now sit 14th – was bitterly disappointed with Saturday’s loss at Pride Park and admitted afterwards that installing a winning mentality in his players was an absolute must.
“It’s not about hoping to get a result.
“It’s about knowing that you’re going to get a result,” said McDermott.
“That’s where we’ve got to get to,” the Whites manager has also admitted he is on the look-out for new recruits with the 52-year-old expected to act in the emergency loan window during the current international break.
Only trouble is – as McDermott himself has already stated – bringing in quality football players to the club is easier said than done. But at least United’s manager can take a fair degree of comfort from the fact that the club’s Academy is providing a natural conveyor belt of ready-made talent.
Byram, Poleon, Mowatt, Dawson and before that Tom Lees have all graduated from Redfearn’s talented school to the United first team picture and McDermott says there are more to come.
The United boss added: “We think there are others on the way through and academy players can see the opportunity now.
“They can see other young boys in the team and it gives them hope.”