Keith Curle on academy players and how Cobblers are 'desperate' not to lose their best young talent

Some fine young players have emerged through the various pathways at Northampton in recent seasons, notably Shaun McWilliams from the academy and Scott Pollock from the football and education programme.

In fact, over 100 appearances have now been racked up by academy prospects since Curle was appointed manager in October 2018, spread across nine different players, seven of which are Northampton born.

And more talented youngsters look to be on the way to the fringes of the first-team with Ethan Johnston, a 17-year-old striker who’s scored goals galore for the youth team, next off the production line.

He recently made the bench for the FA Cup tie against Derby County, shortly before signing his first professional contract.

However, whilst Pollock and Johnston have benefited from coming through at their local club, the same can’t be said for all young players, regardless of their talent and ability.

“If you get an opportunity to play for your local, it’s phenomenal,” said Curle, speaking shortly after Johnston signed on last month.

“Some people have to go further afield but it’s disappointing when you get players that go and get smothered and covered in glory at bigger clubs but then never come to the surface, so to speak.

“There’s an opportunity at this club. The local people and the local players know that if they’re good enough, we’ve got an eye on talent and you will play and progress very quickly. That’s the motivation for the players.

“We’ve given over 100 appearances to academy and education based players since we came in so we’ve always got an eye on emerging talent.

“We’re desperately trying to stop younger players from younger age groups going out of the vicinity and going to the bright lights of the bigger clubs.

“There’s no better starting point for your footballing career than here because there’s a pathway from youth development all the way into the first-team and ultimately everyone wants to play professional football in the league.

“Sometimes you can get caught up in the traffic jam at U23 level at big clubs because they have the ability to bring in better players.

“This club an opportunity for young, local players to come and play. There’s a pathway into the first-team and into professional football.”

Curle has handed out 104 appearances to academy players during his 18 months in charge, the majority of which have gone to Shaun McWilliams (48).

McWilliams has not played since Christmas and will now miss the rest of the season through a knee injury, but Scott Pollock (23) and Jay Williams (17) have also been regulars at various points under Curle.

The Town boss insists he will continue to show faith in young players if he thinks they’re good enough, and he also says his ‘trusting relationship’ with U18 manager Jon Brady plays a key role as he rarely gets to see the youth team train or play himself.

“There’s been a good production line at the club and I think that shows the connection we have here,” added Curle.

“We’re based at two different sites at the minute and that doesn’t help because I don’t get the actual physical contact time with the academy that most managers would like to have.

"But I’ve got a trusting relationship with Jon Brady. We’re constantly on the phone to each other and it’s all about speaking the same language and understanding that we need to have a look at this player.

“I bring a player in, I have a look, I make an assessment and sometimes that player will stay with us and sometimes I’ll say to Jon that he needs to work on this, this and this, and sometimes the player isn’t at the level I need.

“But it’s having that honesty and that understanding which gives a platform and a pathway for players to progress.

“We’ve had players who have come in and in my opinion haven’t been ready for us but there are also players who come up and stay with us and sometimes players might need to find another pathway.”

Cobblers U18s slipped to a rare defeat at the weekend when they were beaten 3-1 by Yeovil Town in the EFL Youth Alliance Merit League at Moulton College.

Max Dyche, son of Sean, scored Cobblers’ only goal of the game with 15 minutes remaining.