forzagaribaldi
First Team Squad
One of our lads playing for Latvia U21s https://balticfootballnews.com/u21-...the-pride-of-wearing-the-national-team-shirt/
Academy Development Thread - sponsored by BryanRoy!
- Thread starter Kelvin's Local
- Start date
I love stories like this.
Makes you proper proud of the football club and the young player involved.
Forest‘s first ever Latvian international I suspect?
forzagaribaldi
First Team Squad
Yeah, I enjoyed it too. Credit to whoever posted the link on Bluesky as can’t say I’m a regular Baltic Football News reader…
donny
Jack Burkitt
Yes, but, ironically, not our first international from the Baltic states.
donny
Jack Burkitt
The irony is, he also has Ecuadoran nationality as well (through his mother).
Statto
Free Kick Specialist
They're both kids. Zyan Blake is a forward who is 18 next month and Keehan Willows is a keeper.
Academy kids. Keehan Willows (gk) and Zyan Blake (winger). Just a case of giving them a bit of experience, I don't think there was ever any likely scenario either got game time.
We've got a smaller squad for Europe than we do for the league, and a European match can name up to twelve substitutes, so we'll probably see more of this over the next few games especially while there's injuries.
donny
Jack Burkitt
Zyan is really highly rated, will probably see him in a few more squads between now and the end of the season. Hes been in England agegroup squads as hes come through, so just hope he remains grounded.
Red Dog in a Dinghy
Geoff Thomas
With him and Thompson (NI LW) then the future looks promising…along with Schluter (?!) and Moreira.
donny
Jack Burkitt
We hit a bit of a dead spot after the likes of Yates, Brereton and Burke came through, but thats expected. The likes of Blake and others in the other younger groups are where we'll see our investment come through. We've been picking up players from other academies, and Schutler, who joined from Blackpool the other week, was one that Liverpool tried to get in over the summer, but, backed off when he had a back injury (they agreed everything, then he injured himself, and they cancelled the deal), and we came in.
There are some very good youngsters in the Forest system, especially Jamie McDonnell, who will be a very solid midfielder, and hopefully, come into the Forest team in future seasons.
I think if you're focussing too closely on results at U21 level, then you're missing the point slightly.
The U21 league is a strange beast, with most of the better prospects in that age bracket instead sent out on loan (as Forest have done with Bindon, Moreira, McAdam, McDonnell, Gardner, and McNeilly this season) and teams rarely having a settled lineup. It's more focussed on getting players experience than on results.
Hawkeye1947
First Team Squad
I used to go and watch the under 18s at Wilford for many years but can’t get there anymore. If there is anyone who goes and watches these games can you name players and positions who in your opinion will/may make it through to the first team.
donny
Jack Burkitt
One that I rate the most at the moment is Zyan Blake, hes still only 17, and has been training with the first team for a while. Tricky winger/forward, still needs to bulk up a little bit, but, he seems to have a bit more than some of our former talents.
Ian Moore Gone Little
Geoff Thomas
He was on the bench for the Porto game (along with the young goalie Keenan Willows), which will have been a good experience for him and presumably shows he is highly rated at the club. Mind you, our Euro squad is so thin and the number of permitted substitutes so great that if you turned up as a fan and were under 21 you were probably also on the list…
Frustratingly, it's more complicated than that..
In Europe, someone only qualifies for List B (U21) if they've been at the club 2 full seasons. So while European games have the extra capacity to include kids - half of the current U21 side can't be named into those spots.
On that basis Luke Campbell, Jamie Newton, Matt Orr, Cherif Yaya, Blaine McClure, Shae Cahill, Chinaza Nwosu, Adam Berry and Lamin Silah are all ineligible to feature in the Europa League this season.
Ian Moore Gone Little
Geoff Thomas
Ah, right, OK - make that if you turned up as a fan under 21 years of age and have been a fan for two full seasons then…
MansfieldRed
Jack Armstrong
Jamie McDonnell: Mansfield midfielder on 'throwback' football
BBC Sport looks at why Jamie McDonnell's old-school style has made the Nottingham Forest loanee an instant hit at Mansfield Town.
www.bbc.co.uk
Could not find a thread just for him.
Hawkeye1947
First Team Squad
Just seen that the Forest under 18s beat Liverpool at Liverpool 6-3. Forest B team beat Leeds 2-1 at Leeds.
I really hope this is an omen for tomorrow
I really hope this is an omen for tomorrow
Steve B
Jack Burkitt
Might be the first time a Forest team has ever played at Forest Green. 1-0 win for the U-18’s tonight - the close scoreline masks the young reds total dominance, as poor owd Robbie Savage has to admit…
Steve B
Jack Burkitt
Ryan’s Johnson
Youth Team
Just noticed Ndala in the Hull city line up… Isn’t he the lad we signed from Man City 1 or 2 seasons ago? Was wondering a few weeks back what happened to him. Did we send him on loan to Hull or did we sell him?
MansfieldRed
Jack Armstrong
Joel Ndala? Was on loan from Man City, didn't take up the option, and went back.