I just found this thread after posting one my self about our youngsters sorry!!! Great idea for a thread though, as our youth teams become more and more successful as in recent years its only natural fans will want to know more about them
The good news following on from the list of released players, is that 3 of the Academy, whose contracts were up on 1st June, must have been given new deals. Dan OâReilly please log in to view this image 18 yr old centre back (Irish) Sean Kavanagh please log in to view this image 19 yr old left back (Irish) Ronnie Minkwitz please log in to view this image 19 yr old central midfielder (German)
Solomon Sambou is impressive and had a terrific Dallas Cup. However, I'm not sure you can compare them directly. I'd put Solomon in the box to box category whereas Ronnie Minkwitz is more the playmaker. The 2 years difference in age (Solomon is only 17) is the main difference at the moment though. Solomon has only recently established himself in the U18s whereas Ronnie led them for a couple of years before moving up to the U21s last season. In fairness Ronnie hasn't yet gained a regular place there but he's got the edge on experience. Not least with the German U19 team. Undoubtedly both are great prospects which undelines the strength in depth at the Academy. Bodes well for the future.
There was an earlier post about Emerson Hyndman. Here is another updating his progress now that he has signed professional papers - please log in to view this image âHyndman, 17, has been within the Fulham organization since 2011 when he joined the Premier League club's academy and ever since he has continued to show steady progress. In April he signed his first professional contract with Fulham and just three months later in July he signed a second extension which will keep him at the London club through 2016. With his height listed at 5'7", he is a top prospect at Fulham and the club's website describes him as "one of the most technically gifted players in the Academy." This year it is possible for him to make the move the U-21 level which is the second highest team in the organization. While most American players do no have the opportunity to make the move to Europe at such an early age, Hyndman was able to make the move to England before his 18th birthday thanks to his dual citizenship with Portugal through his family's ancestry (including through his grandfather and FC Dallas Head coach Schellas Hyndman). When Hyndmann arrived at Fulham in 2011, he was an attacking playmaker thriving in the traditional "number 10" role. In recent years, the coaching staff at the club's academy has moved him back into the "number eight" position where he plays as a box to box midfielder. The positional change has been a revelation for Hyndman and the Fulham staff and its one which he believes will be the best for his future. "I'm on both sides of the ball now and I really love it, actually," Hyndman said. "I get a lot more touches on the ball and I've grown into it. I've found success there and I think it's a position that will take me somewhere." As Hyndman continues to climb through the ranks at Fulham, it serves as a reminder of the rich history Americans have had with the club. From 2004-2012, Carlos Bocanegra, Brian McBride, Clint Dempsey, Eddie Johnson, and Kasey Keller all featured for Fulham with American fans sometimes referring to the club as Fulhamerica. In 2009 the pub inside Craven Cottage was permanently renamed "McBride's" in honor of Brian McBride who is still one of the team's most popular players of all-time. Hyndman insists that he proudly embraces the legacy left by the Americans at Fulham and it serves as motivation and inspiration for him to continue to work towards the first team. "It's always cool to have players to look up to and who have been in the same situation as you," Hyndman said of the club's American history. "Knowing that they've been able to come to Fulham and reach the standard you've been trying to achieve is a big thing for me. People like Bocanegra and Dempsey are people I aspire to be like. It's cool to look up to them but at the same to know that you're at the same club." Here is a link to the full article: http://www.yanks-abroad.com/content.php?mode=show&id=10810
Pat Roberts Playing for Surrey schools a couple of years ago, now England youth international. "Lots of different people have given me advice over the years, but the best was from my Under-16 coach Mark Pembridge. He's someone that has always encouraged me to be creative and said that I should always have confidence in my ability. I would say that my main strength as a player is my dribbling ability â I like to take defenders on whenever I can. Iâm not a bad finisher either, so I do like to chip in with a few goals too.â Patrick Roberts [video=youtube;REoTPhR5M0M]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=REoTPhR5M0M [/video] âMy favourite Fulham player was Clint Dempsey, but now heâs gone Iâd say it was Alex Kaĉaniklić or Kerim Frei. I like the way that they play, and as young players, theyâve done really well to break into the First Team. Their involvement should inspire others to do the same, and hopefully one day I can follow in their footsteps.â Letâs indeed hope he getâs that chance at Fulham
If Pat Roberts leaves, I think the reason is in there as well. I know you're being tongue in cheek, Surly, but the lack of significant progress being afforded to the Academy is a concern.
I see that we have signed Jose Mourinho's 14 year old son as a Goalkeeper ! Will be interesting to see how that develops.
Pat Roberts looks a very player, I think Man United were sniffing around him for a while so let's hope he stays firmly where he is. A future top 3 of woodrow, dembele and Roberts would be unbelievable.
Our 3 big names on the " we want them " radar are Roberts, Grimmer, & Handyman. And of course Dan Burn is establishing himself,and lets hope Cauly Woodrow on loan can do similar. Our youth policy,under Pat Jennings and coaches is certainly bearing fruit.
Have just read we have failed to sign Danny Berbir, who is highly rated. When i first heard he was coming to England thought we could swing it with our American connections,but it appears a more glamorous club got the better of him.
Josh Pritchard please log in to view this image âTottenham's Europa League campaign will allow a young Englishman abroad on loan from Fulham with a chance to make a name for himself. As a competition which in many eyes cost them dear in the Premier League last season, there may not be too many Tottenham Hotspur fans who are over-excited about the Europa League. But there will be one Brit who is looking forward to Tottenham's campaign beginning. That would be 20-year-old Joshua Pritchard, a footballer who plays for Norwegian side Tromso - where he is currently on loan from Premier League side Fulham. Tromso are Tottenham's first opponents, visiting White Hart Lane on September 19, and Pritchard has every chance of being involved. Pritchard signed a loan deal to move to Norway in January, and the central midfielder has become a regular, making 23 domestic appearances for Tromso. He has also taken full advantage of Europa League football, playing seven matches in qualifying rounds, where he netted a vital winner against Besiktas, his only goal for the club to date. He was born in Stockport and was originally a trainee with Manchester United, only to be released at the age of 16. That was back in 2009 and he promptly signed with Fulham, although he is yet to make a first team appearance for the club. His loan may have been an unusual move, but it is looking like the best one he could have made, playing regular first team football and at a competitive standard - for a side which have made it to the Europa League group stages. At international level Pritchard has caught the eye of Wales, who he is eligible for, and has been called into the Welsh under-21 side. His contract expires in 2014, making this a crucial season for him. His loan deal at Tromso ends in December once the Norwegian league season is complete, and he could by that point become an option for Fulham in the Premier League. The perfect chance for him to show this will be at White Hart Lane in just over a week's time, and as a Brit playing abroad to enhance his footballing development, Pritchard's story should be told and encouraged for other young players to consider following in his footsteps. Tottenham will be favourites by a long shot to win the match with a multi-million-pound midfield likely to feature. If a young Fulham reserve helps Tromso pull off an upset it will certainly be a night for the home side to forget.â
Max Obershmidt and the Khan factor Following the news that Max wants to extend his time at Parkhead, the Scottish Herald have run a story about the young man: "Max Oberschmidt has been told many times that he is an Oliver Kahn lookalike but he isn't content to leave the comparison there. please log in to view this image The German-born 18-year-old, who clinched a deadline-day loan move to Celtic from Fulham which runs until January 1, idolises the controversial Germany and Bayern Munich legend and has started putting in some research into the maverick methods which made him one of the best goalkeepers in the world. "A lot of people say I look like Oliver Kahn and I do think his career is very remarkable," said Oberschmidt. "I have done a lot of research about him and he is a very good role model. He was very demanding of himself and of his team. I read his book and it is all about how to get on with the game off and on the pitch, about the demands of being a footballer and an athlete. Also being the manager of your own time, all that kind of stuff." Oberschmidt was a busy man as Celtic's Under-19 side went down 2-1 to their counterparts from Barcelona at Cappielow in the inaugural Uefa Youth League on Tuesday, leaving them pointless after the first two matches of the competition which mirrors the senior team's efforts in the Champions League. But the player, who finds himself behind Fraser Forster, Lukasz Zaluska and Leonardo Fasan in the Parkhead goalkeeping hierarchy, is enjoying life in Scotland and feels games against the continent's best youth academies are productive, rather than demoralising. "It has definitely been a good learning experience. Obviously it gets you used to the first team environment, and the things that come if you get to the first team level, like playing in front of crowds and how it affects you. I am just hoping to get myself out there, show good performances, help the club out, and get a good results. Possibly we could extend it to the summer, depending on how it goes." Oberschmidt, who is behind the likes of Dutch No.1 Maarten Stekelenburg and England squad member David Stockdale at Craven Cottage, cut short a loan move to Ryman League outfit Harrow Borough in order to make an 11th hour switch to Parkhead. "I played with Jack Grimmer [the former Aberdeen youngster] at Fulham - he is doing very well down there - but he didn't have to tell me too much about coming to Scotland, because I had been here before," said Oberschmidt. "I had had a one-week trial at Celtic the year before because I didn't know whether I was going to get an extension at Fulham and if that hadn't happened I would have been looking at other clubs. I was here for a week so I pretty much knew what was expected me. "But I never expected the move. I got a call in the evening and I had to decide within about 20-30 minutes. So it was pretty quick. It was around 7.30pm and I was told the next day I had to be in Scotland . . . so I guess I had to start packing my bags! There weren't any cameras waiting for me. I managed to keep a low profile!" Oberschmidt, who helped the London side win their Under-18 league last season, thanked Fraser Forster for the hints and tips he has passed on in training and wouldn't rule out extending his deal at the club. "I am on loan until January 1 and I think it is going quite well," he said."
Foday Nabay Foday wore the No 10 shirt last night for England U16s in the Victory Shiels match against Scotland, which the Scots won 1-0. please log in to view this image There's nothing about him on the Club website but this is a reminder from when he joined: The Telegraph 22nd July 2013 Birmingham City are set to receive a minimal fee of around £200,000 after losing highly-rated teenager Foday Nabay to Fulham Nabay, 15, is regarded as one of the most promising youngsters in the country and is expected to sign scholarship terms with Fulham after protracted talks between the two clubs over the past four weeks. The England under-16 international midfielder has also been regularly scouted by Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool in recent years but his move to Craven Cottage should go through later this week. Fulham are close to agreeing a fee with Birmingham but it will only be modest due to Nabay's age, even though he signed a pre-contract agreement with the Championship club last year. Birmingham are expected to issue a strong statement opposing the move, while it is also believed Nabay could have made his first-team debut this year and become the club's youngest ever player. Foday started in the U18s opening game of this season - a 2-0 win over Stoke. The competition in U18s midfield is particularly strong though and since then he's only had one other start and a number of appearances from the bench. However I'm sure we'll be hearing an awful lot more about this young man very soon.
We have invited Randers FC U17 topscorer, Emil Riis, over for a trial training session. He'll stay there until end of the week. Randers are in the top flight Danish Superliga.
