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Texas Iron 9:33 Mon Dec 16
Prem level Striker from The Academy...???

Have we ever developed a Prem level striker...
If so who and when...

Sadly I can't remember any in the last 30 years...

Kearley 9:36 Mon Dec 16
Re: Prem level Striker from The Academy...???

Last one was probably Tony Cottee. Made his debut in 82 I think.

Grumpster 9:37 Mon Dec 16
Re: Prem level Striker from The Academy...???

Probably not anyone of note since Cottee, as am sure Defoe would count more towards being Charlton's.

Block 10:13 Mon Dec 16
Re: Prem level Striker from The Academy...???

Freddie SEARS

El Scorchio 10:56 Mon Dec 16
Re: Prem level Striker from The Academy...???

Does Zamora count? Went to the academy but got released. I’d say he was a decent prem striker. Inconsistent but decent.

Vexed 11:09 Mon Dec 16
Re: Prem level Striker from The Academy...???

If you look at actual players that have come through, our academy has produced very few top level players. Yet this board is regularly screaming to start any player under the age of twenty regardless if they've seen them play or not believing that we've developed the next Ronaldo. Pretty fuckin stupid really.

Block 11:15 Mon Dec 16
Re: Prem level Striker from The Academy...???

Cole, Carrick, Lampard, Johnson, Ferdinand, Defoe, Rice,

Na, we've not produced any top level players have we, Vexed.

Absolute moron.

Steven P 11:18 Mon Dec 16
Re: Prem level Striker from The Academy...???

I don’t know why anyone discusses football with Vexed. He shows himself up time and time again.

southbankbornnbred 11:20 Mon Dec 16
Re: Prem level Striker from The Academy...???

It depends on how many years qualify as having 'developed' a player.

Defoe joined us at 16 and spent two key post-school years playing for us at youth level. But he'd been at Charlton for two years, from the age of 14, before that.

As he says himself, he actually spent more time at West Ham than Charlton.

If he doesn't qualify, then Zamora certainly does. He spent his entire youth career with us, then left for Bristol Rovers before making his way back via Brighton and Spurs.

Block 11:23 Mon Dec 16
Re: Prem level Striker from The Academy...???

Steven P 11:18 Mon Dec 16

He's got to be on a windup, surely? He can't be THAT thick?

Steven P 11:31 Mon Dec 16
Re: Prem level Striker from The Academy...???

Block he’s not on the windup, he does this on most threads. Tries to act all hard and will start shouting the odds but most of all just makes himself look stupid.

BRANDED 11:37 Mon Dec 16
Re: Prem level Striker from The Academy...???

We’re not exactly Ajax are we?

Block 11:41 Mon Dec 16
Re: Prem level Striker from The Academy...???

Steven, I do notice how he tries to act the tough man, I did call him out on it the other day and he disappeared, oddly enough.

blueeyed.handsomeman 11:44 Mon Dec 16
Re: Prem level Striker from The Academy...???

only one really and that was Tony COTTEE
Geoff puffer HURST was of course adapted from a useful wing half.

a fea good ones as well, but this irish boy with a nigerian Dad looks exceptional

southbankbornnbred 11:45 Mon Dec 16
Re: Prem level Striker from The Academy...???

Money talks at Academy level these days.

The best academies are within the clubs with the biggest pots of cash: Man City, Man Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea.

Even Liverpool have struggled to keep up with some of their spending on youth development.

The only club in recent(ish) years which has almost bucked the trend is Southampton.

Basically, clubs like ours used to appeal at academy level because local lads knew they'd get a good football education and a chance to play first team football. But the big spenders now have extensive scouting networks that cover the entire world - not just the UK - and suck up all the talent. More than that, though, money talks and those same clubs offer big financial incentives to the families of the kids (like private education fees, houses for the parents etc).

There's a scandal there, waiting to be uncovered, I'm quite sure. Some journo with more time than I've got should start sniffing around the incentives offered to these families. I'm quite certain that not all of them are kosher.

southbankbornnbred 11:48 Mon Dec 16
Re: Prem level Striker from The Academy...???

It's Zamora.

You don't have to go back as far as Cottee or Hurst.

Zamora was a Premiership quality striker. He played for England. We developed him.

blueeyed.handsomeman 12:01 Mon Dec 16
Re: Prem level Striker from The Academy...???

WHamZAM was a tidy little footballer with a hunger to learn,he was very small and slight and slipped away from West Ham,he was no more than 15 years old,about four or five years later this 190cm was scoring goals at Bristol C/

El Scorchio 12:48 Mon Dec 16
Re: Prem level Striker from The Academy...???

southbankbornnbred 11:45

100% agree.

Those clubs have cottoned on to the fact it's the best way to make/save money and finance big deals.

Lure the players on the cheap with promises of the world when they are young. Hoard them, rent them out, hold them in limbo for several years while other teams pay to develop them, (so basically just make a profit from them while holding them hostage) then either discard for a profit or MAYBE they crack the first team. Chelsea have done this really aggressively in the last 5-10 years.

It's disgusting really. Somehow it needs to be clamped down on. There needs to be stricter control over numbers in academies or on the books of a club in general- especially with overseas players. Certainly there needs to be tighter rules on how many players can be loaned out. Chelsea at times have had 20-25 players on loan to other decent sized clubs. Ridiculous.

Swiss. 2:20 Mon Dec 16
Re: Prem level Striker from The Academy...???

Zamora was released by the Acedemy, Carrick came from Walls End in Tyneside, Defoe was at Charlton..

So Block you are the thick cunt. Being precise is import on what you call developed or produced.

Block 2:23 Mon Dec 16
Re: Prem level Striker from The Academy...???

So defoe at 16 was fully developed was he, you soppy cunt? Carrick joined us at a very early age, also.

Like how you missed out Cole, Lampard and Ferdinand as well.

Good to see you're still thick as fuck, even after a long lay off.

Block 2:23 Mon Dec 16
Re: Prem level Striker from The Academy...???

Oh, and I never even mentioned Zamora.

You've had a mare here. As usual.

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