The Sentinel reports that for the second season running, Port Vale have opted not to take any youth team players into the senior ranks.
The Valiants say that improving the academy is a high priority albeit a long-term one as the club aims to become self-sufficient in the long-term.
However, that means that the likes of Eden Bailey and Ellis Jones, who both made appearances for the first-team will not be offered professional deals.
Chief executive Colin Garlick told the newspaper: “Unfortunately this year we haven’t offered any pros (contracts) to any of the scholars.
“The academy is another area that is getting more investment. It is not a short-term fix, there is a long-term plan there. We have had a number of changes but, with the investment, we are hoping we will reap the benefits from that in the years to come.”
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Sad , that no young players are not breaking into the first team., means more loans, transfers etc
Unfortunately deemed not good enough for the Vale – one of the players release J Clarke (LB) signed for Reading FC as Pro this week..hmm
There is an economic line of enquiry, a sporting line of enquiry and an ethical line of enquiry. If we very rarely get a player taken on professionally and even more rarely a player who becomes an established first team player then economically and sporting wise the academy is failing. From an ethical point of view it is also failing leading young people down a blind alley and possibly setting up very adverse emotional situations around failure and the need to find a new way in life. I accept that football and all professional sport has some aspect of that which can’t be avoided.
So should Port Vale invest instead in scouting and bringing players through from non-league and even the local league game. But, to be fair, that is exactly what we have done in 2021/22.