Miller: Youth is the way forward – we will produce stars

 

By Willie Miller

 

Published: 01/07/2008

 

ABERDEEN now invest £500,000 per year in the youth development scheme in an attempt to find more stars of the future.

 

That huge expense underlines the magnitude of the youth operation within the club.

 

We view youth as the way forward at Pittodrie, and are working hard to bring the best emerging talent to the club.

 

In today’s market, youth development is the only way forward because Aberdeen cannot constantly bring in first-team players from elsewhere, especially with the inflated wages some players demand.

 

In recent years we have strived tirelessly to establish a successful youth network under Lenny Taylor, and now have four centres across Scotland.

 

For the first time we have a centre in Edinburgh, which is already beginning to produce promising young players.

 

As a club, we have never had a presence in the capital, so it is fantastic to finally be established down there.

 

That is an area we believe can be tapped and ideally Aberdeen will be first to the best young players emerging from Edinburgh and the surrounding area.

 

My old team-mate Peter Weir heads the Glasgow operation and is working tirelessly to identify, secure and develop new talent.

 

Aberdeen have also made strong inroads into Ireland and the capture of Sammy Stewart is the latest fruits of that link.

 

A lot of work and surgery was required for the youth system to get to the position it is now.

 

But we are now reaping the rewards of that endeavour, and the last year has been the most successful since the new scheme was established.

 

Chris Maguire was the first player we fast-tracked through to the first team and he has gone on to install himself in manager Jimmy Calderwood’s plans.

 

Chris recently turned 19 and should be pushing to become a regular in the first team now.

 

Aberdeen fans can expect a number of exciting young players to emerge this season.

 

Furthermore, there are promising players set to move from the youth development stage into the U19 squad, and we expect many of them to be pushing for the first team over the next few years

 

The 16 and 17-year-olds will have a great chance of making the breakthrough if they are developed well and work hard.

 

Once they progress to the U19 squad, it is the job of both Neil Cooper and Neil Simpson to get them ready for the rigours of the first team.

 

Aberdeen are not unique in their commitment to youth.

 

I sit on the SFA Youth Development Committee and I can guarantee that almost all the clubs in Scotland are committed developing talent which is great for the game.

 

Cue a fresh round of Willie Miller bashing...

No willie bashing from me (I'm at work).

 

Making all the right sounds about youth development but there is no point pouring all this cash in and then taking in shite like Bus and releasing a batch of 6 or 7 youngsters every summer. I fear with Calderwood in charge we will never reap the same rewards of devloping talent and selling them on for a massive profit a la Hibs. Jimmy just doesnt do youth, short term rewards for himself is what he is all about...

No willie bashing from me (I'm at work).

 

Making all the right sounds about youth development but there is no point pouring all this cash in and then taking in shite like Bus and releasing a batch of 6 or 7 youngsters every summer. I fear with Calderwood in charge we will never reap the same rewards of devloping talent and selling them on for a massive profit a la Hibs. Jimmy just doesnt do youth, short term rewards for himself is what he is all about...

 

Well Maguire is in the first team squad. Where are all those promising youngsters that he let go?

 

Maybe, just maybe they were not good enough, highlighting what Miller himself says, the youth set up was inadequate.

maguire isnt good enough though ?

maguire isnt good enough though ?

 

He came on a great deal in the last few games and when he was played as a striker.

 

Still runs like a bint though.

Maguire needs time.  Bloody hell, he's only 19!  Good attitude though.  Lets all get on the backs of the young players that we do actually bring through.  That will work, fine, if you want them all to end up in  ingland.

 

There does seem to be a bit of a gap between players that we have brought through, McNaughton, Mackie, Anderson etc to the players that Miller says are goig through nto the U19's. Is that all down to how the youth systems been managed in that while, or is it simply that those players that have come through, are simply not good enough like Tenement sez.

 

Incidentally, there is nothing wrong with ths statement.  Its actually good to hear about positive investment in the Youth system, its what any other club n the land would do to build the confidence of the fans.  What needs to be asked, however is, why did it get so behind in the first place?

 

 

There does seem to be a bit of a gap between players that we have brought through, McNaughton, Mackie, Anderson etc to the players that Miller says are goig through nto the U19's. Is that all down to how the youth systems been managed in that while, or is it simply that those players that have come through, are simply not good enough like Tenement sez.

 

I reckon it's the youth set up that weren't capable of finding enough young players to work with or to do much with what they did manage to pick up. Hopefully that is very much in the past.

 

Where's "Fund-a-Don" when we need it? 

Maguire needs time.  Bloody hell, he's only 19!  Good attitude though.  Lets all get on the backs of the young players that we do actually bring through.  That will work, fine, if you want them all to end up in  ingland.

 

There does seem to be a bit of a gap between players that we have brought through, McNaughton, Mackie, Anderson etc to the players that Miller says are goig through nto the U19's. Is that all down to how the youth systems been managed in that while, or is it simply that those players that have come through, are simply not good enough like Tenement sez.

 

Incidentally, there is nothing wrong with ths statement.  Its actually good to hear about positive investment in the Youth system, its what any other club n the land would do to build the confidence of the fans.  What needs to be asked, however is, why did it get so behind in the first place?

 

 

 

In fairness players like jess and booth were scoring hat-tricks when they were 19. 

Well Maguire is in the first team squad. Where are all those promising youngsters that he let go?

 

On trial at Celtic and being chased by several other SPL clubs.

 

 

 

Admittedly the rest have fucked off to obscurity.

On trial at Celtic and being chased by several other SPL clubs.

 

 

 

Admittedly the rest have fucked off to obscurity.

 

Exactly. Celtic signed Adam Virgo too so hey ho, who knows?!?!

Miller: Youth is the way forward – we will produce stars

 

 

First big lie of the close season, and it's a fucking quality lie.

 

Not an original lie, of course. They said something similar last year. But still, it's a good yin. 

 

I'm going to predict that the next big lie will be the claim that we're going to build links with whatever gash teams we play in pre-season.