Young Scottish Talent - There Has Always Been Young Scottish Talent

I HAVE a friend who has spent more years than he would care to mention nurturing the ungrateful youth of Scotland, as a school teacher, but, more-importantly as a coach of school football teams.

 

His dedication to the game has been rewarded by producing several Scottish Schools internationalists, some of whom have gone on to enjoy successful careers in professional football.

 

He has himself risen to a position of some influence in Hampden's corridors of power, and even beyond into Europe. My mate is, therefore, not at all surprised by the good publicity which the current crop of Scotland youth players are enjoying, mainly the Under-17 team's success in reaching the elite round of the UEFA Under-17 Championships.

 

"Listen", he will tell anyone who is prepared to do just this. "Scotland has ALWAYS produced as many potential future stars as any other European country - even Holland and Spain.

 

"At age group youth tournaments across Europe, from the Milk Cup in Northern Ireland, to the Gotha Cup in Sweden and in various big tournaments in Holland, France or Germany - even across the Atlantic in the USA, Scottish Boys Club teams do incredibly well, up to Under-16 or Under-17.

 

"That's when the problems start. The better boys, who are snapped-up by our clubs seem to fail to train-on as well as their European contemporaries, while far-too-many of the not-as-gifted fall-away into the traditional Scottish trap of women, drink and horses.

 

"A lot of these guys find their level, be it in the juniors, or amateurs, even Sunday League 'pub' football, or the local five-a-side leagues, but, I have serious concerns about the level of coaching and development which our clubs give our better, more-promising, young players."

 

That's a guy who is in the tent, and he is disappointed at how our professionals train the next generations. If you like, it's like a manufacturing company not investing in apprentices, or product research and development - yet, for too-long we have allowed this to happen in Scottish football.

 

Sure, we get the odd team to celebrate, but, too-many fail to turn potential into professional success, this, more than sectarianism, is Scottish football's secret shame.

 

 

 

A LINKED event to this was surely Michael Mols' intrusion into the current travails of the Rangers tribute act. The Dutch striker has suggested that more former Rangers' stars, both Scots and foreign imports, should be acting as an ad hoc scouting network, finding future stars for the club.

 

OK, as far as it goes, but, I am sure a lot of Rangers fans would far prefer that the club began to bring a steady stream of young, native talent, out of Auchenhowie and into the first-team squad.

 

The same criticism might be aimed across the city. Yes, it's all very well giving your young talent a run-out when the league has been won, but, I feel so-many of Celtic's secret army of talent spotters, the teachers and janitors at Scotland's Roman Catholic schools in particular, are not happy at the club's presumed preference for foreign-trained talent.

 

Some of the blame has to lie with the SFA, who could surely come-up with a better system for getting a better class of home-grown player into our top teams, but, the clubs could and should be doing more with fresh local produce.