Hi, I don't know if you guys keep track of ex-players or are interested, but we (Gillingham) signed John Egan in the summer after you released him. He has been a breath of fresh air for us, clearly too good for league 1 his defensive performances have been immense, also added to that he has scored 3 goals in the last 2 games. I would like to say thanks, and if you have anymore like him please send them our way. Good luck for the season, regards a grateful Gills fan.
He was very highly rated here, and it was quite a shock when he was released. He won young Irish player of the year 2 years ago, but then he broke his leg shortly after ruling him out for nearly a year. Due to the change in managment here he was probably never given a chance to show what he could do. Good luck to the lad in his development.
This was one of those youth players not good enough for the Prem. Let him walk for free. I believe we should have given him a pro contract. If he was never going to break the first team we could have still got 500k to 1m from a championship club. Flowing potential revenue down the pan. Glad he's doing well. Just pisses me off another clubs enjoying our hardwork and investment for free. 500ks here and there add up. We should have been chasing some kind of fee for a few of the lads we released. Loved Nyron me.
Spot on again Bri, we are always moving good young players on too soon imo. Some players take time to reach their peak and it must be tough to make it after rejection from your parent club. Great news about young Egan though and well done to him for showing the resolve. Nyron was one of my favourites but I have always been a Jamaicaphile. I think that is a new word
Yeah we've got top facilities there, 4 or 5 500k's per season would cover costs. That part of the club isn't being ran as a businesses and it should be imo, otherwise it's draining resources that could be put elsewhere. Loved it when Nyron dribbled it out
Agree totally with the sentiment but I'm not sure it's as simple as that. There are loads of other factors involved in this - i.e. if we give him a pro contract we have to also pay an agent (all professional players must have agents or representatives nowadays) and the club would have to pay a pro wage to a player. His leg break cost the club a lot of money and there's always a risk of it happening or leading to other complications as well. Too much for me to pass judgement on really. But I do agree with what you're saying Bri - and Nyron is a legend!. No 2 ways about it - pure legend. re the costs involved at academy - I don't think it can be run "as a business" as the money spent (or lost) in the Academy goes towards the FFP and makes the club sustainable (and also gives more money to spend in the transfers) - I am only guessing but I think that's how it works
Of course it's not that simple, it would require an sophisticated business infrastructure putting in place and initial investment on top of those pro contracts which would add further cost. But other clubs with facilities no better than ours are doing it. With us finally breaking even and the silly amount of money coming in through tv deals. This summer, amusing we stay up, would be the perfect time top invest some coin in setting it up imo, but we need to start producing more players over varying standards to make the Academy much more of an asset.
What you should do with Egan is look at it as a swap, you got Nyron from us, (free at the time) and Egan was your way of paying us back. He is looking good for our player of the year at the moment, especially if he keeps scoring goals the way he is.
Good to hear this. After his leg break, which was bad, he could have folded. Seemed like a real emerging talent and i hope he continues to improve and make the grade....
Always glad to hear about former young uns doing ok (bar the 2 Nobles, who were ****ing ****ers....) I'm with Bri on this, the academy SHOULD be ran as a business and even giving pro contracts and loaning out for fees with 100% wage coverage would a) bring in funds and b) develop players faster. I point you to the 2 most successful youth academies in Europe. Southampton? Crewe? United. Nope. Real Madrid & Barcelona. Very rare for anyone to come through and make the first team at Real (Casillas, Morata who was sold for a bomb, few more), a bit more common at Barca, but away from those that make the grade at these 2 clubs there are a phenomenal amount sold on for big money. These are off the top of my head, and these are ones that didn't make it at Barca (admittedly a few played a few games...) The best example of what Bri is saying is Andreu Fontas. He was never really rated at Barca as his touch isn't good enough, but they gave him a deal as he was physically right. He went on loan to Mallorca and did well, and rather than be released, he was sold, for £4.2 million. Real, jesus I'd be here all day listing La Liga players who started at Real, but suffice to say both clubs develop players knowing full well they will never integrate into the side, they give them 3 year deals, loan them out and those that blossom are sold for great money. The odd one proves them wrong out on loan and stays. Barca are on it right now with Defolou. Loaned to Everton, looked good, took him back, not quite Barca calibre, sent to Sevilla, doing well. Now, Barca either play him or sell him for £15million plus, if you don't give them those 2 years, the first team time, then you will never see end products. We should know this, Jordan & Colback, the 2 best products from the academy to date, both had loan spells before they made it here, but as it stands, we just pie the lads off. It's a failing model, it needs ran as a business, simple as that. Mention agent fees etc, I guarantee if we offer a 1 year deal on a grand a week, no right minded agent will take that down, as League One down only the top few will get near it.
