|
" The FA International side, England under-18s is taken from the cream of young players, similar to our YTS scheme and the Academy schemes coming out of professional clubs.
" So teams like Manchester United, Liverpool, Everton, Manchester City, the big clubs in the Premier League, their players will make up England's under-18s, or should make up England's under-18s if they have got enough English players playing for them.
" But this is the England schoolboys who are, I don't know how to put it in a nice way, probably a little bit more intelligent academic-wise. Some of them will have turned down scholarships at clubs like us to carry on their education.
" An example I have worked with is Anthony Pilkington who turned down a scholarship at Blackburn to carry on his education. Then he ended up at Myerscough College and did his education, came out of it with all his degrees and Stockport County picked him up and he ends up being transferred for £100,000 to Huddersfield Town. "
" So he has all his education behind him and he has still made it as a professional footballer. I would think that most of these English lads will be doing the same thing, or trying to do the same thing.
" It is a fantastic opportunity and we can use Matt Duffy as an example of a boy brought in as under-16. Very, very clever, went and did his 'A' levels as well as passing all his schoolwork here. He didn't get an offer of a contract here but he was offered a one-year contract with Glasgow Rangers, because the Scottish youth team is a year older.
" But Matt had a fantastic offer to go to Florida to study and he took that option up. It was his footballing ability that got him into his college in Florida but Matt will end up being an accountant or a solicitor or something like that, very, very talented young lad and clever.
" I don't know what happened with Chris Smalling but I would imagine that he turned down a scholarship somewhere in London and ended up going to whatever college he went to. The Fulham scouts will have seen him play, he will have finished his education, he goes and carries on and it ends up in a big move to Manchester United. "
" These boys will obviously, if you go down and ask them, do you want to be a professional footballer or an accountant? I would imagine that nine or ten of them will say that they want to be a footballer but their parents probably want them to be something different.
" But they will have two chances now, if they impress tonight or they have impressed during the season then they might get a professional contract or they will move on into the career of their choice.
" Hopefully we see another Chris Smalling here and we will manage to spot him and bring him into the club next year and sell him for £8million in two years time, who knows? But that is why I am here, I have been invited by the English Schools FA which I am grateful to, but I would have come anyway.
" My youth team players are coming, they are going to sit in the stand and watch. Because I think it is important for their education as well just to have a look at what an English college side are like. But I would have come anyway because I am interested in all types of football and if there is anybody good enough I will be badgering Greg (Abbott) to give them a trial in pre-season. "