Source: Northern_Echo
Davey promises starlets a pathway to first team
SIMON Davey's appointment at Darlington brought nods of approval with many supporters more than satisfied with the club's choice as manager.[LNB] Perhaps nobody was more pleased than the coaches and players in the club's youth setup.[LNB] A feature of Davey's threeyear tenure as Barnsley manager was his willingness to give youth a chance or, as he puts it, a pathway through to the first-team.[LNB] It's paramount for clubs at this level to bring kids through and I'm led to believe there's some exciting young players coming through at Darlington, said Davey, who takes charge of his third game today, at home to Accrington.[LNB] I've told them that there is a pathway at this club. If they are playing well they will get the opportunity in the firstteam.[LNB] We did it last season at Barnsley. We played a 15-yearold in the Championship.[LNB] That was Reuben Noble- Lazarus, thrust into the national spotlight by becoming the Football League's youngest ever player at 15 years and 45 days.[LNB] Such a move bodes well for Quakers' youth system, from which a steady stream of talent has emerged, a point emphasised on Monday against Hereford United.[LNB] Darlington finished the match with four homegrown players on the pitch Josh Gray, Curtis Main, Michael Smith and Dan Groves.[LNB] It was Main who teed up Gray for the first goal in last Saturday's 2-1 win at Burton.[LNB] Main may not start today, as Davey intends to look at players in the squad who have not featured since his appointment.[LNB] But the 17-year-old striker and his teenage team-mates have a promising future under Davey, whose faith in young talent is no surprise given his own early introduction to the game.[LNB] He was handed his senior debut as a 16-year-old for hometown club Swansea City and he said: I was in my Olevel year at school when I got a call from the headmaster to come out of class. It turned out Terry Yorath had called the club and had asked if I could have the afternoon off school.[LNB] I thought I was going to go down to the Vetch and savour the atmosphere, but he put me on the bench in those days there was only one substitute and I came on for my debut.[LNB] I became the second youngest ever player to play for Swansea. It was a great experience and I've taken that approach to young players with me.[LNB] Kids need an opportunity, whatever age they are. Players in the youth team need a route through to the first team.[LNB] There's two kids there in Josh and Curtis and they helped us win last week, which is brilliant.[LNB] We're in a relegation battle, we're bottom of the league and they produced a performance like that.[LNB] It's my job to make sure that there's no pressure on them, that they enjoy their football and they develop. Encouragement, that's all they'll get from me between now and the end of the season.[LNB] There are eight games to go but Darlington's relegation can be confirmed today.[LNB] They will go down if they lose and Cheltenham win at home to Bury, otherwise their status could be resolved at Rochdale on Tuesday.[LNB] No matter when the drop into the Blue Square Premier is confirmed, Davey is already planning for next season.[LNB] Next season I want a squad for 15-16 players with another four or five young, homegrown lads competing to break in, he said.[LNB] You want that competitive mix. We know that Josh and Curtis can compete at this level and should be okay next season.[LNB] Michael Smith came on as a sub on Monday. I'd seen him train once and I took soundings from [youth coaches] Craig Liddle and Neil Maddison.[LNB] They believe he is a boy that needs a chance to show what he can do.[LNB] I am the kind of a manager who gives young players an opportunity but you have to make sure there are senior players who can play and do a job.[LNB] It would be nice to have two senior strikers up front with Curtis coming off the bench.[LNB] But he's been in at the deep end and has had to learn his trade in a division where the team is losing games, is bottom of the league and there's a lot of pressure.[LNB] At Barnsley if the Academy kids were good enough they were old enough. Hopefully there'll be some gems here too and we'll give them a stage to play on.[LNB] While the club's young talent has a future at the club, so too does midfielder Gary Smith, who has signed a new deal at The Northern Echo Arena.[LNB] The 26-year-old has agreed a contract that keeps him at the club until the end of the 2010-11 season.[LNB]
