Yahoo News St Mirren present youth development global vision in stars of tomorrow bid
Stephen Robinson has outlined the long-term vision for St Mirren’s academy with young players recruited from across the world.
The ambitious plans would see the Buddies cast their net far and wide in a bid to identify the stars of tomorrow.
Saints believe they can pick up distant gems instead of fighting a losing battle with the likes of Premiership big guns Celtic and Rangers trying to capture the cream of the crop in west-central Scotland.
The Ralston youth system has been successful over the past 18 months with players either being sold on to bigger clubs or pushing towards the first team.
Ethan Erhahon, Dylan Reid and Ethan Sutherland moved to Lincoln City, Crystal Palace and Wolves respectively for six-figure fees with the promise of more to come.
Meanwhile, Lewis Jamieson was a regular in the matchday squad before signing for Raith Rovers on loan. Fraser Taylor and Luke Kenny are in the first-team picture while hopes are high for Kieran Offord and Gallagher Lennon who are on temporary transfers to Crusaders and Annan Athletic, respectively.
“There’s a long-term vision for what we want to do with the academy,” Buddies chief Robinson said. “We want to recruit from different areas. We want to get digs where we can bring boys over from foreign countries; from Northern Ireland, from Africa, from Europe.
“That’s so there’s a wider network instead of a 25-mile radius that you’re competing against Rangers, Celtic, Hibs, Hearts; all the bigger clubs that have a lot more sway than us. We have to get recruitment right at youth level which I don’t believe it was before.
“And that came down to money as well as infrastructure. We’re doing a lot of things in the background and that’s credit to Allan [McManus] and the academy staff.
“We are looking at ways – every way possible – to produce footballers. Everybody uses data and everybody’s using different ways. We have to widen our recruitment of young players. We aren’t getting the best Scottish kids.
“We might get one or two of them but we’re not getting the best because the bigger clubs take them or come and take them at 14.”
Providing homes for those not living on these shores is a key plank of the project.
“You need accommodation,” Robbo acknowledged. “You need to put boys up, you have to have host families – which I had when I moved over from Northern Ireland.
“We want to get relationships with the JD Academy in Northern Ireland – which we can do – but we have to have places to put these players. It’s not something that happens overnight but it’s something that needs to happen at the club.
“People want young players in the squads but they have to be good enough and they have to be ready. We haven’t had that previously. We’re getting there.”
Meanwhile, Robbo has praised the performances of loan star Offord who has made a big impact in the Northern Irish Premiership. The 20-year-old has scored four goals for Belfast outfit Crusaders following a summer switch.
“He’s the talk of the Irish league at the moment,” the gaffer added. “It’s brilliant, like Fraz [Fraser Taylor] was last year [at Ballymena United].
“We’re looking at these boys for next season and going: ‘okay, can we make them from 20th to 16th man to being starters or making up 11, 12, 13, 14 in the squad? That’s ultimately the goal.”
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