The problem for an Argyle youngster who has shown promise....is that the big boys start sniffing around. Ben Purrington who only broke into the first team in December has been noticed by Premier and Championship clubs. Ben has been nominated for League 2 apprentice of the year and has been tipped for the England under 18 squad as well. Will money talk louder than the building of a Argyle team for the future....let us wait and see.....James Brent's intentions for the future will be interesting to see.
Clubcall.com are saying that Aston Villa are trying to take Ben Purrington to Villa Park.....they were impressed with Ben last December when they beat Argyle 4-3 in the youth cup in which Ben scored a goal. They also say that Liverpool,Southampton,Reading,Brighton,Huddersfield and Bournemouth are also interested.
It's the same for every club in the lower depths of the football league. Anyone who comes calling with half a cheque book is going to get their man whther the fans like it or not. This time though we don't need the money desperately so it should be for a proper price unless the footbal authorities screw us over in favour of the bigger boys of course.
This is the trouble isn't it? If we got a reasonable cash price for a youngster with England junior level prospects from a money-bags Premier League club - let's say well into the hundreds of thousands of pounds - then that money could be better used by bringing in 2 or 3 experienced League 1 level players in the summer. As it is, if he falls under the twisted young player regulations, we'll get enough for a deposit on a new set of corner flags now and promises of riches if he gets 50 full caps for England with the next 2 years. In fact, he'll rot in their youth team for the next 5 seasons when they'll sell him to whatever club Ian Holloway happens to be managing at the time.
Oh dear you do sound cynical notDistant.....the problem is how do you get 2 or 3 good Div1 players to come down the west country to start with. The same old excuses that Sheridan has been up against this transfer window.....ooh I didn't realize it was that far......my family won't come......too far to travel home to see the family.....my wife/girlfriend will be too far from her friends.......the children are settled in their schools and I wouldn't move them that far...... Quite often all that isn't quite what they mean......too far from the big city lights and clubs might be more to the point. Big money pay packets might help....but oh dear haven't we been down that route before.....and if you don't get quick promotion and bigger gates you get sucked in to administration maybe again.
No Plymborn I meant another Argyle youngster who is a favourite with the crowd is rumoured to be going in the summer
Where to ?......doesn't seem to be at the forefront of Sheridan's plans...., is he out of contract then or will we get something for him ?
That doesn't surprise me joe if he does go. He has something about him that, if worked on at a better level by better coaches, could produce at the least a decent Championship level player. I met somebody on a trip away who knows Young well. They talked about his wages which I was a bit surprised at. Lets say it was less than a grand a week. No bad for us mere mortals but for a professional footballer very small change. He can get much more than that. Fact still remains that if somebody from above wants a player you have then by whatever means they will get them. Contracts only work one way in football as we all know.
Yes, i know his dad very well and grew up with him.. He has said on a few occassions he will move on.. there was some Champion ship club sniffing .. but i have not found out which one? Yes needs to put a bit more in, but he has got it and could be a very good player
