Arsenal’s Under 18 coach Steve Bould says the clubs Academy is finally ready to produce players good enough for Arsene Wenger’s first team. The former player who has taken the last two batches of young starlets to the Academy League play offs, also revealed the secrets to the success, and gave praise to the unsung heroes behind the scenes.
When Arsene Wenger came to the club 11 years ago, he took a great interest in the youth development side, and has since put all his experience into building a successful centre of excellence, and a team to scour the local area for the brightest prospects. Steve Bould payed tribute to this work, and named the two key components to finding the players.
“First and foremost we manage to get hold of good players, it seems a simple starting point – recruiting the best – but isn’t so easy when every other club is trying to do the same.”
“That’s where the likes of Roy Massey and Steve Leonard come in. These are unsung heroes who do so much work at junior level. And we’ve got a lot of people like that who never get a mention but they manage to recruit the best players, whether it’s from abroad or in and around London.”
Players come through at around 9 years old, and finish the system 10 years later at around 19, when they are either promoted to the first team, loaned, or released. So only now are all the facilities and coaching staff in place to be ready to produce world class talent.
“Maybe that eight-year cycle is coming to fruition now. Maybe the Academy set-up is starting to produce. Over the next few years we might see a bundle of these kids getting in their first teams, not just here but throughout the country.”
With so many clubs around London, and only a short perimeter in which they can locate and sign talents, Arsenal need a star attraction. That comes in the form of a manager who is willing to give prospect’s their chance.
“Yeah, Arsene is probably the biggest attraction,” Bould confirms. “Every parent, you’d think, would want their kids associated with this club because they know the manager wants to play football?…?I wouldn’t say in the right way, that would sound a bit superior. Let’s just say his way.”
One of the vital things about Bould and his philosophy is that he moulds and adapts to the youth of today, and not only helps the development on the field, but also of it and shares a fantastic relationship with his young playing staff.
“One of our lads had been struggling for a while, so I asked him what was wrong. He told me that two of his mates had just been shot. I nearly crashed the car when he said that. I mean, the gang culture and the whole drugs thing wasn’t something I ever had to deal with at their age.”
Finally, Steve gives the key qualities needed to make it with Arsenal. It is not always having amazing skills, although that helps, its something simpler that that.
“You have to be self-driven, especially at a club like this,That’s a big attribute for Arsene – a self-motivated player, not someone who’s going to need pushing and checking on all the time.”
Article By – J.Sanderson
well done to arsene,bould and all the others for all their hard work in making sure arsenal has the best youth set up in the world.keep it up :)
good shit.
The academy seems really strong atm, and I believe in the future! I believe in Bould!
All the hard work from everybody involved in finally paying off. I think were just around the corner from producing an amazing talent ready for the first team.
nasri will sign on sunday say may sources
Kaka, Eto’o and Buffon will sign a week on Tuesday.
as will Villa, albiol, yaya toure, C. ronaldo and Micah Richards say my sources
yesyes kaka and buffon good very i fan very big
my dad, who has the garbage route over at emirates says the signings of Ramos & Ole Gunnar Solskjaer are being announced today.
they should sign me then
vela eduardo and even walcott will be like new signings and nasri will sign next week
I personally hope what he says is true
nr790, What are your sources exactly?
looks like hleb is on his way to barca.toure and some cash would seem good to me.then we got a replacement for flamini :)
Yaya Toure?
Nah, he aint that good, IMO, if he was Barca wouldn’t have signed that Keita fella from Sevilla.
yip yaya I thought he had a really good season at Barca
Ill be surprised if Yaya comes, but if he did – it would be a great swap :)
dont think the new coach at barca wants him..so I thinks its quite posible..and if we get some cash with him..even better
http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,1766_3632900,00.html
my mum knows the tea lady and she said she saw the window cleaner talking to a waiter whos son saw julio (the beast) baptista speaking to the bust of herbert chapman pleading for a spot in a side, any side.
Yaya is garbage!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously, he makes Gilberto look super mobile and dynamic.
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Of course the youth is ready. First talent to come through will be Jimmy Dunne.
I think talent is already copming through, and we should see more of it next season. We saw Randall start in the Carling Cup and got last part of Sunderland game. Other players like Lansbury (if avoids injury) Gibbs, Emmanuel-Thomas, Bartley, Cruise (same as Lansbury) and Wilshere shoudnt be far. I dont expect all of them to make it but at last 4 out of them should.
*least
Lol Farrukh, are you joking?
Bould is doing a wonderful job at the academy!! thumbs up!!!
Great respect for coaches like Steve Bould cuz it takes allot to learn some kids to progress and develop into good football players.
I mean allot of them are talented but it takes more than talent to be a football player.
Yep, they also need football boots, a kit and a ball too.
I hope atleast one english guy in the academy makes itr
Strong quotes from Bould. Different to the arsenal.com. When did he say this stuff?
Remeber, the hard work from everybody haven’t payed off real yet but it’s close to. We have only Hoyte who’s homegrown in the first team squad right now. I would say when we have at least 3 more i would say the work has payed off!
We have only Hoyte who’s homegrown in the first team squad right now. I would say when we have at least 3 more i would say the work has payed off!
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Hoyte is a decent premiership standard player, but personally i dont see him as good enough for us or england, nor do i think he’ll ever be, but we have been producing, Jerome Thomas, Steve Sidwell, David Bentley and Hoyte, but i recon they are all just the tip of the iceberg. Wenger and his staff past and present have done no less than revelutionise our academy, Wenger said himself now is the time that we would see some of the results coming through. You just have to look at some of the players foreign and english that we have coming through to see we are producing some fine talent now, some will leave, others will stay, but all in my opinion are premiership quality players at the least. You just have to look at players like Landsbury, Randall, Merida, Mannone, barazite, Gibbs, Traore and more recently Wilshire and Emmanuel-thomas (just to name a few personal favourets) to see we are producing some fine players who will go on to have fine carears with or away from this club. We get stick at the moment for not supporting the national side, and maybe there is some truth in that although in my opinion its slightly harsh, but some of those players are international quality, and some will break through next season, and other the season after.
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