Sheffield United: Why Bramall Lane's next generation have no fears about first team football
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Paul Heckingbottom’s side entered the international break ranked fifth in the Championship table following last weekend’s win over Barnsley, bolstering their hopes of qualifying for the postseason play-offs.
With nearly half of their outfield squad missing the game through injury, teenagers including Kyron Gordon, Daniel Jebbison, Femi Seriki and Will Osula have all been called upon to represent United at a critical stage of the campaign.
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Hide AdAlthough Heckingbottom is hopeful Bramall Lane’s fitness crisis will ease ahead of next month’s return to action, head of player development Jack Lester explained why the presence of so many inexperienced professionals has not derailed United’s bid to regain Premier League status at the first attempt.
“We’ve had eight academy boys involved and it’s needs must,” he said. “But the way we work with them, the boys all go through a tough programme.
“The day to day stuff they do, we are always looking at the physical outputs and the demands we put on them. It’s not a loose environment, where lads can simply coast through their day.
“I remember when I first went into coaching, I texted everyone who I’d played with and asked them what the best quality was of the best player they’d worked alongside. All of them, and I mean all of them, replied ‘attitude’ which is why it’s so important.”
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Hide AdMany of those currently accelerated through the system have completed spells on loan with non-league clubs, including Kacper Lopata, Oliver Arblaster and Nickseon Gomis while Jebbison recently returned from Burton Albion. Seriki was dispatched to Boston on Tuesday.
“The attitude of the lads, their resilience, it always gets commented on from their loan clubs,” Lester said. “They tell us that they can cope with lots of the things that get thrown at them and that’s exactly what we want to hear, because it’s part and parcel of being a footballer. You have to have that resilience.”
“They know they’re looked after,” Lester added. “If you fall out of love with football, which is pretty hard, you stop developing. But we do push them.”