It’s a well-known fact that Motherwell have a track record of successful academy graduates who have come through the pathway in place, went to first-team level, and moved on to have successful careers.
That pathway that exists has been crucial for the club’s continued stay in Scotland’s top flight. Looking back on the likes of James McFadden, Allan Campbell, Jake Hastie, David Turnbull, and Jamie Murphy in recent times, but going even further back, club legends like Ian St John, Gary McAllister, and Phil O’Donnell are all players who have worked their way through the ranks at Motherwell.
With a proven track record of nurturing young talent, the baton has now been passed to former Motherwell starlet himself David Clarkson to carry the responsibility of producing the next talents that are made in Motherwell. Bursting onto the scene in 2003, scoring his first goal just nine minutes into his first start, he quickly established himself as a first-team player and went on to have a mouth-watering career, which included representing his country at senior level, moving for substantial six-figure fees, and setting new goalscoring records.
Having been appointed as Academy Director in 2023, he has now been in the role for a full two years, where he has watched talents such as Lennon Miller, Ewan Wilson, Luca Ross, and Dylan Wells all go on to make their debuts for the club. That is something that is important to Clarkson and a key marker for where the academy is at.
“It has been a positive experience so far,” David Clarkson stated.
“Despite being at this club for so long, I’ve been able to learn different aspects about what the job can throw at you. The opportunities the boys have had and how well they’ve done in the first team have been excellent to see.
“It shows the opportunities are there, and the process the coaches and players go through encourages that. To see the outcomes of those processes is brilliant for the academy, the coaches, and me.”
Having been in the role for just over two years, Clarkson can reflect with fondness at what the academy has achieved in that time. Going into the job, he had short-, medium-, and long-term ambitions that he wanted to accomplish.
As he reviews the accomplishments of the past two years, it’s clear that Clarkson’s vision is taking shape, but he remains driven by the desire to achieve even more. His commitment to fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement ensures that the academy will continue to thrive under his leadership. The journey is far from over, and Clarkson’s passion for education remains as strong as ever.
“My short-term goals were just to get a hands-on approach in place when it came to the culture here,” he added.
“I wanted to make sure the staff are creating a good environment for the players to come and thrive; that is the most important thing.
“From there, you just try and build up. The end goal is to get players into the first-team which, with Lennon [Miller] and Ewan [Wilson], has happened. That’s always the target.
“With any academy, you want to try and produce first-team players. Year-to-year that can change. It could be one player is good enough, sometimes two, three, or four, or sometimes none.
“It just depends on who comes through, what manager is in place, and what the club sees. At the moment, it’s great to have that level of availability of the academy. I just want to make sure we create an environment for the boys to come in, enjoy themselves, and thrive. If they do that, it gives them the opportunity to go far.
“If you’re enjoying your time, you’ll develop more. If you’re coming and you’re not happy, whether that be with the coaching or environment, you won’t get the best out of yourself.
“That can be said for the coaches too. I’ve always tried to ensure the coaches feel wanted and welcome. The managers in place have been a part of it too, getting to youth games as much as they can, which shows a real connection to the academy. As a player, you thrive off that.”
It’s clear to see the club is on the right trajectory once again when it comes to nurturing the next crop of talent.
Earlier in the season, statistics showed that Motherwell were top of the tree in comparison to their fellow Premiership sides when it came to the percentage of minutes given to Scottish Under 21s in the league.
Sitting proudly at the top of the tree by some distance, Wilson and Miller are perfect examples of players being given the opportunity and platform needed to take the next steps in their careers. But while that may be success for those individuals, what does success look like for the younger age groups within the academy setup?
“It’s just about how much you see them develop and learn,” Clarkson explained.
“There’s boys in there who are young and need to be kids at times. There’s not a big emphasis on winning and making sure you’re living your life like a professional footballer 24/7; these are 11- and 12-year-old kids who are still learning and going through different development processes.
“The emphasis, as they gradually get older, is about giving them information that can help them go to the next stage. You look at them and see if they’re developing in the areas that we want, and that’s individually but also collectively as a team.
“Some boys will do it quicker than others, and it’s important we give them the opportunity to be the best they can be. Sometimes, it doesn’t work out. Players can fall away; players don’t develop as much as they or we want, but I still feel within that we give every player a chance.
“Anyone that does leave leaves with better aspects within their life and better development than what they came in with. I meet boys who haven’t made the grade, whether that’s at Under 11s level or Under 18s, and they still speak away, as do the parents. That’s important to me, that they have that relationship and connection no matter the outcome of their journey within the academy.”
Context and managing expectations is part of the job for Clarkson. Not every player will make the grade; that’s just a fact.
On top of this, there’s also the issue of those who do make the grade. Or are way beyond the grade. Because not before long, the bigger clubs will come fishing and will look to take the player away.
“You’re just going to have that,” Clarkson added.
“That becomes a bit of a credit to the academy itself, especially for the coaches who put the time and effort in. They are developing players to the class where they’re attracting clubs from England or abroad.
“But on the flip side, our aim is to get them to play for Motherwell, so it’s an issue, but again, if you’re getting that success with young players, you’ll get the big teams looking. If we continue to produce players, they’ll keep an eye out for the next one coming through.
“It then comes down to the player, and they ask themselves what opportunities will you get away from Motherwell? The stats show we’re up there, if not the best, in the country for giving young players opportunities, and I think that’s massive.”
Motherwell fans have watched plenty of academy players come through and play on the Fir Park turf on a Saturday over their years of supporting the club. One thing they all had in common was having a manager who trusted them.
That’s another crucial part of the process for Clarkson, ensuring the manager is fully aware of how players are getting on.
“Between me and Richard Foster, that’s our job,” he explained.
“We make sure we’re in the manager’s ear about boys developing. As I’ve said, managers have been to the Under 18s and Under 16s games, so they’re aware of the progress being made and who is doing well.
“But at the same time, that’s his call to give that opportunity and game time. It may depend on where the team is in the league, the position the manager is in, or recent form. All these things matter.
“Regardless, I’m not doing my job if I’m not in the gaffer’s ear saying how this boy is doing well because the only way we’ll know if he’s actually up to the standard is by throwing him in.
“I don’t think anyone can tell you if they’re ready or not; it’s just giving them the chance to develop in a first-team environment that will show what they’re made of. A lot of our boys have been involved with first-team training, which has been a massive step for us, and although the players might not be playing in matches, they’ve been in or around the squad, which is great.”
It’s always a fan’s ambition to see their own flourish within a first-team setup. Everyone loves the fairytale story and chanting ‘one of our own.’
And at Motherwell, there is almost an expectation of the next young prodigy in the pipeline being close to bursting through. That just comes from past exploits and reputation. And for the man heading up that process, there is pressure involved.
“I think I put pressure on myself,” Clarkson noted.
“I don’t think there is pressure from anywhere else. I think it comes down to personal pride and pressure from being involved with this club for so long and coming through the academy myself.
“I want to make sure I’m giving my best and seeing the outcomes of that. I want to make sure I keep developing and the coaches keep developing because it will benefit the players at the end of the day.
“I put pressure on myself to make sure I give everything I can and give them the opportunity. That’s what it’s all about, giving them the platform. While some will go and make it all the way, some won’t. But it’s my role first and foremost, along with the coaches, to give them the best possible chance.”
Being an academy graduate himself has allowed Clarkson to pass down experiences and provide advice to players who are in the position he was in at the start of his career.
“Although things in football have changed, the football environment and football pathway remain similar,” he added.
“I try and pass that experience onto the players and coaches because we all need to learn and develop together. They can take my own experiences that I’ve had with different managers and coaches from boys football to the first-team and use them to their advantage. I understand what some players go through; I can understand the periods of development they’re going through.
“As a result, I can help them by chatting with them or getting them on the pitch to discuss things. It benefits them personally, and I’m fortunate to have that background.
“There’s a lot of stuff, especially when you get older, with development and challenges that will come to each individual. They go through different stages of their growth; there’s friends, girlfriends, challenges with school, day-to-day life, and weekend stuff.
“Lots of things stand in their way, and there are a lot of decisions to make. People will make the choice they think is best for them, and for me, it’s just about giving them all the information they need to make that choice.
“We can’t make decisions for them, but we can help them. How to conduct yourself off the pitch, what they do away from football, applying themselves in the gym, and nutrition. Even behaving properly over the weekend, stuff like that comes into play when they get older.
“The younger boys still need to be kids. We let them play with their school team, let them go out with their pals, and enjoy life away from football. It’s important they don’t isolate themselves.”
Lennon Miller and Ewan Wilson have been roaring successes on the pitch this season. Both have featured heavily for the first-team, with the former even becoming the club’s youngest ever captain.
But the thirst for more young talent to represent the badge will never dry up. It’s David Clarkson’s job, and all his coaches, to ensure the pathway stays open and development continues.
“You’re always excited for the next chapter,” he laughs.
“Year-to-year, you see boys come and go. Things are always changing, but there’s always an excitement there for myself and the coaches in terms of the next story. Who’s going to be the next one to step up?
“You just hope they get the opportunity because you can provide everything for them, but getting the chance is something outwith my control. The players are still young, however.
“They’re only 17 or 18 years old. Lennon Miller could be considered generational; a lot of the time players will be 20 before they break into the first-team. It’s important they realise that it’s not as soon as you join the academy or reach the Under 18s that suddenly you’ll play on a Saturday.
“I always wanted to be a footballer. But you need to realise that there are things that can help or hinder you along the way. I have to manage the expectations of everyone, the player and parents, because they see other success stories.
“It might be when you’re older that you make the jump, but even if you don’t, there are still opportunities there. When or if you leave Motherwell, players still go on to have careers in the game from Lowland League all the way up to Championship.
“There’s different pathways for different players. While you’re here, we hope you develop as a player and as a person, but we want this journey to provide you with opportunities outside just Motherwell Football Club. That could be when you’re getting a job, general life experience, or anything else life throws at you.
“We hope the time here has helped you develop in all aspects of life, not just football. Because at the end of the day, that’s our job.”
