Quote: Andy Gilder "Sinfield, McGuire, Burrow, Jones-Buchanan, Bailey, McShane, Ablett, Hall, Smith, Jones-Bishop, Watkins, Clarkson, Elliott, Hardaker, Pitts, Singleton.
All members of the current first team squad who made their Leeds debuts while in their teens.
Clearly this supposed policy of not playing them in the first team until they are 20 is failing somewhere.
Or it doesn't exist.
I'll let folks make their own minds up which it is.'"
Always jumping in lately Andy without thought. I was talking about current last couple of years policy, pointing out how good it used to be.
How the hell can you use Hardaker and Pitts as an example? both were transfer signings not developed throught the system.
So we are left with McShane, Jones Bishop, Clarkson, Elliott, and Singleton.
Remind what I said again, then look at the age these players were on debut. Completely accepted by the way Singleton. Therefore out of a list of 16 players you mention, we only actually have one, yes one, that dissagrees to the point I made.
We were so successful at bringing kids in early and developing at the top level, but we stopped it, simple as that. It was a big mistake, not only for encouraging new players, not only for keeping existing youngsters, but bad IMO for their development.
Look at all the top players that have been in super league over last 12 years, all but one, yes one, made their debuts at 18 or below having coming through their respective clubs academy. Players like, Sinfield, McGuire, Burrow, Farrell, Tomkins, Morley, Fielden, Pryce, Burgess, Cunningham, Eastmond, Wellens, Long, etc.