Antwoine Hackford

[BushBlade]

Hopefully he has done like you say and directed it somewhere really positive. Having listened to players like Brewster and Bogle talk about their mental struggles and frustration with injury rehab I’m sure he’ll have had some tough moments especially seeing as those lads are already established pros and he’s just starting out.

Hopefully he did some of his rehab with the senior lads and probably more so than anyone else someone like Brewster will have been able to empathise as he went through something very similar at the same age.

Yeah, most players hate it, I’ve heard so many talk about it. It must be even worse when you’re on the cusp of success. One minute you’re dreaming of your first decent contract, buying your mum a house and that kind of thing, next you’re wondering if you’re even going to have a career in the game. It must be devastating at that age.

I thought he looked OK the other night against Palace. Hopefully he can kick on. With our injuries, it’s possible that he might get some opportunities later in the season. If we go up, our academy will be important, if we don’t, it will be vital. We won’t be signing players like Ndaiye is now, we can only hope to keep producing players like him.

For all my criticism of KM, setting up that academy, now almost 20 years ago, was the best thing he did for this club (and even if it was Warnock’s idea, it was still KM who agreed to it and saw it through). Selling academy players got us into the championship, the sell on fees we got for the likes of Walker and Maguire filled a potential black hole in our finances when KM and PA were arguing over money and control and selling Brooks financed our promotion to the PL.

Hopefully, this time we can go up and keep the most promising players, develop them and have three or four as first team regulars in the years to come. Without a benefactor owner, our scouting, recruitment and the development of players has to be spot on, and the academy should play a big part in this.

 

[Silent Blade]

Coincidentally Hamson’s debut was in a November win away at Cardiff, covered in a piece this week reporting that 1976 game.

Lovely report, thanks. The match was played on 30th October. A few days earlier I watched Hamson play for the reserves and I thought at the time that he would play for the 1st team soon. My dad often bumped into Ted Hemsley at a bookmakers and Ted was telling him about Hamson looking to have a good future

 

[Berkshire Blade]

. We won’t be signing players like Ndaiye is now, we can only hope to keep producing players like him.

Or buying 18/19 year olds like we did with him who come good two years later

 

[Kev Gee]

Yeah, most players hate it, I’ve heard so many talk about it. It must be even worse when you’re on the cusp of success. One minute you’re dreaming of your first decent contract, buying your mum a house and that kind of thing, next you’re wondering if you’re even going to have a career in the game. It must be devastating at that age.

I thought he looked OK the other night against Palace. Hopefully he can kick on. With our injuries, it’s possible that he might get some opportunities later in the season. If we go up, our academy will be important, if we don’t, it will be vital. We won’t be signing players like Ndaiye is now, we can only hope to keep producing players like him.

For all my criticism of KM, setting up that academy, now almost 20 years ago, was the best thing he did for this club (and even if it was Warnock’s idea, it was still KM who agreed to it and saw it through). Selling academy players got us into the championship, the sell on fees we got for the likes of Walker and Maguire filled a potential black hole in our finances when KM and PA were arguing over money and control and selling Brooks financed our promotion to the PL.

Hopefully, this time we can go up and keep the most promising players, develop them and have three or four as first team regulars in the years to come. Without a benefactor owner, our scouting, recruitment and the development of players has to be spot on, and the academy should play a big part in this.

Great post.
There's no better thing than seeing young lads, come through the ranks. Make their debut with us and go on to have a good career at pro level either with us or elsewhere.

If young players see there is a pathway here they are likely to select us over other academies.

 

[Yogi]

Yeah, most players hate it, I’ve heard so many talk about it. It must be even worse when you’re on the cusp of success. One minute you’re dreaming of your first decent contract, buying your mum a house and that kind of thing, next you’re wondering if you’re even going to have a career in the game. It must be devastating at that age.

I thought he looked OK the other night against Palace. Hopefully he can kick on. With our injuries, it’s possible that he might get some opportunities later in the season. If we go up, our academy will be important, if we don’t, it will be vital. We won’t be signing players like Ndaiye is now, we can only hope to keep producing players like him.

For all my criticism of KM, setting up that academy, now almost 20 years ago, was the best thing he did for this club (and even if it was Warnock’s idea, it was still KM who agreed to it and saw it through). Selling academy players got us into the championship, the sell on fees we got for the likes of Walker and Maguire filled a potential black hole in our finances when KM and PA were arguing over money and control and selling Brooks financed our promotion to the PL.

Hopefully, this time we can go up and keep the most promising players, develop them and have three or four as first team regulars in the years to come. Without a benefactor owner, our scouting, recruitment and the development of players has to be spot on, and the academy should play a big part in this.

I’d take your argument a bit further Bush producing players is the most likely way we’ll acquire game winning flair players even if we go up. I don’t foresee a world where we’ll be able to spend around £30 million for a player which seems to be where the market is trending for young creative players.

If we were to go up I’d really hope we’d finally break ground on a new facility to enable us to operate in the top category.

 

[BushBlade]

Or buying 18/19 year olds like we did with him who come good two years later

Yes, he was an untried kid when we signed him who’d not played a league game and we developed him. It doesn’t matter whether we sign them from other academies, like Peck and Lankshear and the lads we’ve picked up after being let go by the Manchester clubs, or they come through from being 7 years old. My point is, if Ndaiye was playing for Coventry now, we’d have no chance of signing him, we’ll only get players like that by trying to find potential and developing it.

 

[BushBlade]

I’d take your argument a bit further Bush producing players is the most likely way we’ll acquire game winning flair players even if we go up. I don’t foresee a world where we’ll be able to spend around £30 million for a player which seems to be where the market is trending for young creative players.

If we were to go up I’d really hope we’d finally break ground on a new facility to enable us to operate in the top category.

I agree entirely, Palace are a great example of that. I doubt they’d be a constant PL club without developing the likes of Clyne and Wan Bissaka (selling and reinvesting the proceeds) and, of course, Zaha.

 

[Bennyand the Blades]

Do the club get a fee from the other club when they loan out these young players?

 

[HarryHaslam]

We lost a lad earlier this season to Man Utd, he was of russian or ukraine descent, something like that anyway. An amazing talent who is also heading for the top, Man Utd moved all the family to Manchester and gave his parents jobs one of the parents in his side was telling me, we have lost out big time on that lad because he was amazing.

Been told he’s now training with Man Utd’s first team aged just 15. Pity we can’t keep hold of top youngsters but fair play to the lad and wish him all the best.

 

[HarryHaslam]

Amir Ibragimov is his name btw.

 

[Champagneblade]

if we if we get Cat 1 can we put a stop to this?

Surely Man U getting jobs for his parents should not be allowed?

 

[Davalon]

if we if we get Cat 1 can we put a stop to this?

Surely Man U getting jobs for his parents should not be allowed?

Happens all the time.

A mate of a mate's son got chased by City for ages. Sending him gifts through the post regularly, offering the parents a house in Manchester etc.

All a bit sickening imho. The thing is they seem to do it with any young kid who seems a prospect and we know how few actually make it.

 

[Corkblade]

Happens all the time.

A mate of a mate's son got chased by City for ages. Sending him gifts through the post regularly, offering the parents a house in Manchester etc.

All a bit sickening imho. The thing is they seem to do it with any young kid who seems a prospect and we know how few actually make it.

The big clubs do what they like, l wonder how many of these lad's are lost to football completely

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

Back on the main OT, as Hackford did actually pop into my head yesterday. Where is he upto now as his injures have seen him drop entirely off the radar?

 

[HarryHaslam]

Back on the main OT, as Hackford did actually pop into my head yesterday. Where is he upto now as his injures have seen him drop entirely off the radar?

Back playing after a year out, think we are taking it steady with him but he did score last week.

 

[Weasel]

It will always happen when there is a huge disparity between finances between the mege rich and the ones who aren't. I suppose we do the same to other clubs further down the food chain. It's the rule of the jungle.

On the plus side, we are probably in good position to pick up the best of who is released from these mega clubs. Let them bring the players on and when 95% get released we can help ourselves by being a position to get the best of them. We have picked up a few already I believe by being Jonny on the spot with the picking up the best of what has been discarded by Man City and Man United (Brooks for example).

 

[adamawdhali]

Amir Ibragimov is his name btw.

I actually know this kid because him and his brother used to play for my football team a couple years ago. Got scouted by Sheffield United and literally only play 3 or 4 games for us before Man City saw him. Was on his way to city before man United rang up and we’re offering to give his parents jobs and get him and his family a house and all sorts to get him there. His older brother is an mma fighter and his 3 other brothers all play for man United and Man City. Super talented family

 

[adamawdhali]

Furthermore since this is a thread about hackford, I knew a few people who are friends with him and a remember them saying when he made that appearance at palace that he’ll be really good if he gets himself dedicated and stops smoking and all that stuff. Hopefully he’ll kick on soon

 

[HarryHaslam]

I actually know this kid because him and his brother used to play for my football team a couple years ago. Got scouted by Sheffield United and literally only play 3 or 4 games for us before Man City saw him. Was on his way to city before man United rang up and we’re offering to give his parents jobs and get him and his family a house and all sorts to get him there. His older brother is an mma fighter and his 3 other brothers all play for man United and Man City. Super talented family

We had him for at least a year I reckon but could be wrong, because when I did the first post on him 5 years ago I used to be up at the academy every week and I remember watching him a fair few times, and it was certainly over a season or at the very least a large chunk of it..

 

[Ranmoorblade]

Man United's Amir Ibragimov takes part in first-team training aged 15

Man Utd youngster Amir Ibragimov is highly regarded in the academy and he reached an important milestone in his career.

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk

 

[adamawdhali]

We had him for at least a year I reckon but could be wrong, because when I did the first post on him 5 years ago I used to be up at the academy every week and I remember watching him a fair few times, and it was certainly over a season or at the very least a large chunk of it..

Maybe it’s a brother I’m thinking off then. One of them definelty wasn’t there long

 

[HarryHaslam]

 

[Maryland_blade]

How’s he been doing in the u21’s?

 

[HarryHaslam]

How’s he been doing in the u21’s?

I’ve not seen a great deal of him lately but when I’ve watched him he’s looked good without looking anything special but he is coming back from terrible couple of years of injuries, but he has still been scoring goals, out of the young strikers he is the most natural finisher for me. Fingers crossed the injuries are now behind him, the new contract will be a weight off his mind and hopefully he can push on and start knocking on the 1st team door.

 

[b1ade4life]

Good to see we are tying our youngsters down to long contracts to protect the asset

 

[bertieblade]

With the exception of Arblaster and Jebbison which are the other young players that we need to tie down to new contracts?

 

[Ndiayewillalwaysloveyou]

I like how they mention arbourthorne born No flower estate born for Brooks though!

 

[Ndiayewillalwaysloveyou]

With the exception of Arblaster and Jebbison which are the other young players that we need to tie down to new contracts?

Fleck again.

 

[Snake]

I like how they mention arbourthorne born No flower estate born for Brooks though!

It's a bit like Kyle Walker growing up in Sharrow, it get's mentioned all the time. Probably cos it's spit away from the Lane (or at least the northern bit of the estate is). Plus Wilder used to live there. Plus we have links there - used to train at Ball Inn. Arbour I would guess is 70% Blade territory.

Flower estate is Pig land - so well done Brooksy for being a Blade

Out of interest, does anybody know where the rest of the local young Blades are from? Arblaster for example.

 

[Balham]

With the exception of Arblaster and Jebbison which are the other young players that we need to tie down to new contracts?

U21s who have made first team squad appearances this season...

Jordan Amissah - contracted to June 2024, option taken last summer
Sai Sachdev - contract to June 2024?
Jili Buyabu - contract to June 2024 (possible option)
Femi Seriki - contract to June 2024?
Oli Arblaster - contract to June 2024
Sydie Peck - signed "long term" contract in 2021 so probably contracted to 2024 but with an option to extend
Evan Easton - contract to June 2025
Ryan Oné - signed in the summer - contract unknown but likely to be 2025 or 2026
Antwoine Hackford - new contract to 2026
Andre Brooks - new contract to 2027