This is an excellent interview by Mr Whittingham, it's well worth a read. (Nines) There's only two… - Interview Wednesday, 27th May 2015 20:07 by Clive Whittingham Darnell Furlong, the latest recipient of the Daphne Biggs Young Player of the Season award, talks to LFW about his first team breakthrough, growing up with that surname, and being there for that Oldham goal. QPR's youth set up has been much maligned in recent years, and not without justification. While hard working, talented coaches like Steve Gallen have remained a vital constant, it's suffered from the club's failure to invest in its infrastructure, stiff local competition, poor scouting and a succession of different managers and boards only with eyes for short-term first team gains and scant regard for a long-term plan. Category two, potentially about to be downgraded to category three, it hasn't produced a regular QPR first team player since Ray Jones and any talent that has crept through – Dean Parrett and Raheem Sterling – has quickly been snaffled up elsewhere. Two years ago, however, the club's Under 18 side travelled to New York for a tournament that would make the long-suffering fans in W12 sit up, take heart, and note down the name of the juniors involved. Rangers, more acclimatised to playing Colchester and Barnet at that time, swept aside Inter Milan 3-1 and Liverpool 5-1 to win the whole thing. Aaron Mitchell won the tournament's Golden Boot award and Reece Grego-Cox scored a fine goal in the final. The side was captained by Darnell Furlong, a small boy with a big surname, and he’s one of those now finally threatening to smash through the glass ceiling that has existed in W12 for so long. There’s a story about Darnell on that trip which speaks volume for the character of somebody who has grown into one of the club's brightest young prospects. The tournament starts each year with a dinner on the first night for all the players and staff of clubs that have travelled from all over the world to take part – Inter, Liverpool and QPR were joined by the likes of Maccabi Haifa. The teams kept much to their own groups that night, as you'd expect of teenagers in a strange, foreign, place to do, but Furlong had other ideas for his players. Before the food was served he took the squad around the room to shake hands with the other players who were taking part, introduce themselves and QPR and wish them all the best for the week. Then they thrashed them all out of sight. Read the rest and a link to a recorded interview here ... http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/queensparkrangers/news/38746/?
My usual flippancy aside, that's a good read and a good interview. Sounds like a grounded kid but appreciative of the position he finds himself in.
I agree on all points. I hope that he has the ability to raise his game to the Championship level this season.
If Ned's still with us then he could be crucial as an experienced head (hopefully playing CB - he was awesome there for the second half of our last season in the Championship) and as a semi-regular RB can give the necessary guidance.
Has the potential to be a great ambassador for the club. Hope it works out for him and cements his spot as the regular RB.
