3/1 To Win
Derby County academy players will return next week for pre-season full of determination and optimism that it will be their time to make the next step up.
Justin Walker’s Under-18 side had an impressive season last year, finishing sixth in the Premier League – North, but more importantly, in-line with the academy’s mission, players were regularly passed up through the ranks.
Seven Under-18s stepped up to the Under-23s while Max Bird and Jayden Bogle spent time with the first-team.
With the highs and lows of last season now a distant memory and the slate wiped clean, the Under-18s will get to work proving themselves.
As the new season looms, every young player looks to grasp opportunities to forge their own path towards senior professional football.
It’s an important job for Walker, who as well as helping to develop their professional careers, is tasked with helping to build their development off the pitch as they juggle schoolwork and for some, being away from home for the first time.
Walker told dcfc.co.uk: “What we do now is review what went well for us throughout last season and what the challenges were that we faced.
“At the end of the day, they are 16 to 18-year-old human beings and there’s lots of stuff off the pitch going on in their lives.
“They have a lot of adaptation to full-time as a professional sportsman and trying to get into what is a brutal game, they have a difficult challenge ahead.
“We review and see how we can support that better than we did last season and consider what we do moving forward. We have done that over the past weeks and look forward to returning next week.”
As part of their pre-season preparations, Walker’s side will play five fixtures beginning Saturday 14th July against Mansfield Town. They will also face Gloucester City, Carlisle United, Crewe Alexandra and Barnsley, as well as a tournament at St. George’s Park.
