Aberdeen’s youth academy players and coaches celebrated their successes of 2022 last night but academy director Gavin Levey insists the hard work on trying to be better can never stop.
Players from the under-10 squad up to the under-16s were accompanied by their proud parents and coaches for the club’s annual end-of-year awards ceremony at Pittodrie.
It was a night to pause for reflection on a fine 12 months for the youths within the Dons academy system but Levey knows the club cannot rest on its laurels.
He said: “Our coaching programme is going to evolve again next year.
“The one we have worked on has served us well but we need to tweak it and move it forward. That’s one of the things we’re very excited about developing.
“It never stops here. We’ve got to be ambitious to be better all the time.
“While we gather our thoughts together and reflect on the successes this year there are still improvements to be made.
“The key is to work out what we need to keep but also all the areas we need to be better on again.”
Under-18s have provided a template
Producing players for the first team is the ultimate aim and following two years of significant progress with the under-18 squad the Dons academy director is looking to expand their successful methods to the younger age groups.
Levey said: “For the last two years Barry Robson and Scott Anderson, and our head of performance Kevin Symon, have been working really hard to try to take young players who have come through the academy to under-16 level to another level at under-18s and the first team.
“That’s the biggest gap to jump and because we don’t have a reserve programme here at Aberdeen we have to make sure when players go over to Jim Goodwin now they have to be ready.
“That means the physical side has to be right, the mentality has to be better – which is one of the big areas we need to improve – and we need to have the technique there.
“We’ve really matured our programme and it has taken shape at under-18 level.
“Year on year they are becoming a more exciting team and we’re going to try to drip-feed those good elements into the younger age groups.”
Coaches must meet the needs of the players
Levey insists the club’s current youth academy structure is the best it has been in his time at Pittodrie but the need to keep pushing forward is evident.
That means carefully assessing the needs of the young players and matching them with the strengths of the team of coaches plying their trade at Cormack Park.
Levey said: “We have to look at every group, the individuals within it and the qualities our staff have. We then select the best individuals as coaches to get the best out of that group.
“We’re very fortunate at Aberdeen now as we’ve built a coaching team with current players like Jonny Hayes, former players like Fraser Fyvie and Stuart Duff, and current professional players playing elsewhere like Chris Antoniazzi (at Elgin City).
“He’s a young guy who came through our academy and it is so fresh and raw for him from being a player here to carving out a career somewhere else.
“To bring someone like Chris in he needed a mentor and Mark Emslie, who came through here in Sir Alex Ferguson’s era and has been here 22 years now; there’s no better person than Mark to work with Chris.
“We also have some terrific and highly qualified staff here. The coaching programme here in terms of our staff is as good as I’ve seen in my 16 years here.”
International competition is crucial for player development
Player development is the focus at all times and while coaches and committed players and parents are vital to making the youth academy a success Levey knows competition at the highest level is imperative for the club.
Levey points to an invitation to play in a tournament next year featuring clubs such as Benfica, Inter, Bayer Leverkusen and Ajax as a sign of the esteem the Dons are held in by leading clubs in Europe.
He said: “When we travel now we have a reputation not just for being a good club but good people.
“We’re very fortunate to get invites to go and play at tournaments and for someone to recognise our academy and want us at one of the very best tournaments Holland has to offer is something we should be proud about.
“We will be able to judge how good we are by playing against better teams and playing abroad continues to be a massive part of our programme.”
Youngsters dreaming for first-team progress
Lewis Carrol, a central defender with the under-15s, collected the Neale Cooper award for player of the year at his age group.
The teenager is steadily progressing through the ranks and would love to emulate the progress of former Dons who have come through the academy set-up at the club.
He said: “I’ve played half of the season with the under-16s but I was playing twice at weekends for the first half of the season.
“I was with the under-15 team which won the Micasa Cup tournament in Norway which was ace. Beating Leipzig in the final and Liverpool in the semi was brilliant.
“The following week I went to Holland with the under-16s which was a great experience again and that’s what it is all about for me at this age.
“I joined the club at under-11 and won the player of the year with the under-12 group so to win again with the under-15s is great.
“I’ve been playing against some top players at an older age group which has been tough but it’s great for me and my development.
“There’s a great pathway here and as the manager touched on guys like Calvin Ramsay and Scott McKenna have come through the ranks here and gone on to the highest level.
“That’s what we’re all trying to do.”
Defender and midfielder Max Pocklington, who took the Cooper award following his season with the under-13 squad, is another one of the hopefuls dreaming of being a first-team player in the future.
The 12-year-old said: “It’s been a very good year for the club and I’m very pleased to get my award this year.
“I’ve been with the club since 2017 and it has been a very good experience thanks to my team-mates and coaches.”
Neale Cooper award winners:
Under 10 – Leo Forbes
Under 11 – Calan Freeland
Under 12 – Finn McCulloch
Under 13 – Max Pocklington
Under 14 – Theo Simpson
Under 15 – Lewis Carrol
Under-16 – Lewis Pirie
Highlight of the year – Joseph Teasdale
Goal of the season – Rory Phillips
Conversation