Academy Director David Clarkson will be pleased with the progress the Motherwell FC Academy is currently making. Selling Academy graduate Lennon Miller for a club-record transfer fee in the summer was the icing on the cake for the club, in what was a remarkable rise through the ranks for the now Scotland international.
But beyond the 18-year-old’s headline-catching move to Udinese, there have been other key points of progress for Clarkson. Jim Paterson has returned to Fir Park in the Head of Coaching role, the Motherwell B side have completed their maiden KDM Evolution Trophy campaign, more Academy graduates have made their first-team appearances and much more.
“Things have been going well,” David Clarkson said.
“There have been a few opportunities for young boys already this season. Matty Connelly got his first minutes, and Zander McAllister came on against St Johnstone. The gaffer has included a lot of them in training sessions as well, which is good for them and their development.
“Obviously Lennon Miller leaving and getting a great move has been a boost for us in the Academy. It shows us that if you stick with the plan and see your end goals, staying at Motherwell can give you a real pathway and opportunity to get your move after sticking in and getting first-team opportunities.
“The next bit is trying to get some more boys into the first-team over the next couple of years, and we’ve got a manager that’s come in and tried to do that.”
And that’s something that’s important to Clarkson. Having a connection and a strong relationship with the manager is key. The signs were positive very early on in Jens Berthel Askou’s tenure, as the new manager brought a large number of academy players to Delden for the pre-season campaign, with many getting minutes in the friendly against FC Twente.
“The manager and I have had conversations,” Clarkson stated.
“But there’s been chats with the Board too about the opportunities and the need for the players to keep pushing. Taking a lot of players away for the pre-season camp gave the manager an idea of where those players are at in terms of their development. The manager, with his previous roles at clubs, understands how the academy structure works.
“We speak day-to-day about different things and players. And I think that’s a real bonus for us, but again, it’s not going to happen overnight and might not happen every week, but in the long-term vision the manager and I have, we know how important this academy is and how important it’s been in the past.
“And he’s looking to continue that.”
‘Important’ is one word to describe the role the academy plays in the running of the football club. Lennon Miller’s move will bring sustained income over the next few years that will allow the club to invest in areas they see fit. But it also continues to enhance the already credible reputation the MFC Academy has for providing opportunity for young players.
But with Miller now in Italy, the focus quickly turns to the next up-and-coming star that supporters can call one of their own. And that is the job of Clarkson and his academy staff.
“The mindset is always there to try and find the next one we want to go and push into the first-team,” the academy director explained.
“It’s difficult because we lose boys along the way to other clubs that come in, and the players then want to seek other opportunities and feel other clubs are the path for them. So, it’s not as easy as bringing the next player through next year. The next one we might’ve had may be out at another club because unfortunately that’s the name our academy gets.
“People are aware of the infrastructure and the players that are coming through. If they can benefit from that and nick them earlier, so to speak, then they’ll try and do it. Some boys and parents take that opportunity, and that’s the difficult thing for us. We keep going, and it becomes the next one after that.
“We’ve got five or six boys at each age group that maybe can kick on. Things change month to month with development, but as Academy Director, that’s always the next step. How can we help these boys? As much as Lennon came through, that’s on him, I always think.
“Any boy that comes through and does well, we’re just here to facilitate their dreams really. The coaches are great; they’ve got the pathway, and they get help along the way. But you need the player to really want it. Those are the steps for us; it’s to try and produce players that the club can benefit from.”
Starting this season, there was a significant alteration in the Scottish youth divisions. This is the maiden season of the new Under 19s league, which was introduced, replacing the Under 18s league, to allow players to have an extra year of development, as it was concluded that the gap between Under 18 football and first-team was too large.
Also this campaign has seen the introduction of the Under 17s league replacing the Under 16s to avoid any age-group gap for players. The KDM Evolution Trophy also went under significant change this season, moving towards a UEFA competition-style league phase prior to the knockouts commencing.
Each team has played six league matches, with the top 22 teams qualifying for the next round. This reconstruction was introduced to support players in the ‘transition phase’ of ages 16-21.
“In terms of their development, these changes are going to be great for the players in the long-term” Clarkson emphasised.
“The first and second years have played the 19s games and the KDM matches. I think Luca Ross has been the only one who has been on the first-team and featured in those matches. It’s been a great learning curve for the boys playing against full-time players.
“We’ve got 15- or 16-year-olds playing against 30-year-old experienced men. It’s been great in terms of development, and that’s what we’re looking at. We want to push the players that are here already. And it’s the same for the Under 17s. We’ve pushed all our under-16s up to that age group, so the 2010s are all playing that. So results-wise, it’s difficult for them, but we feel in terms of nurturing the players in the long run, they’ll gain from playing against those that are older than them.
“As coaches, we can see that it’s going to be good for them, but we need the players to come along with us and understand why we’re doing it. If they want to go into the first-team, they’re going to be playing against older players, so the sooner we can introduce them to that, the better. So far, it’s been a good test.”
With a clear plan in place for how the coaches will develop and test players within the setup, staffing is key for Clarkson. Former Motherwell player and fan-favourite Jim ‘Step Over’ Paterson has returned to Fir Park and will take up the position of Head of Academy Coaching.
Teammates and friends from their playing days, Clarkson was delighted to get Paterson in the door and is excited by what he can bring to the table.
“Jim has been working in the academy for a while,” Clarkson mentioned.
“He’s been coaching with us for a while, and I think he’s got great experience with his background in playing and his management career. So putting that together and working with the youth in the academy, it strikes a good balance for the role he has come in to do in terms of helping other coaches as well.
“I think his experience and knowledge will help out coaches within the academy. He’ll be a good addition to the coaching staff because he’s enthusiastic, he’s keen and he’s speaking to the manager and staff every day. We’re always looking to bring good people into the club and people that understand the club. And I think that’s the good bit for me; Jim has been at the club and knows how it works here.
“It’s a tight-knit group and a real family club. It’s connected together, and I think Jim understands all that from playing here. He’s been excellent so far. Obviously, Richard Foster has moved on, but he was brilliant during his time at the club. He spent a lot of time with our young players, aiding their development on the training pitch and in the office. I thoroughly enjoyed working alongside him and think he’ll be a great addition for wherever he goes to next. I wish him all the very best for his future.”
