Coventry City Academy Boss Greg Rioch has said that the owners SISU putting up £480,000 for the Sky Blues to obtain Category Two Academy status is a huge signal of intent from the owners.
Speaking to the CT's Andy Turner about the Academy's new Category Two status which will see City as one of 23 Category Two clubs who will be split into Midland/Northern and southern sections for their 16's 18's and 21's matches and completely new opponents for the new season, Rioch said: “This is a huge signal of intent from owners, without a doubt.
“It enables us to provide a better game programme, have more contact with our players and protect what we have got. And that attracts players locally, rather than them going to a rival club.
“If we were chasing a kid and were Category Three we’d be playing Walsall, Northampton and Cheltenham throughout the age groups rather than established Championship clubs, so from a recruitment point of view it was crucial.
“We’re still competing with Championship and Premiership clubs for bringing players in because of the players we have progressed through the club. Last season we had 141 appearances in the first team from Academy graduates that were under 21.
“There’s only one other club in the country that can better that and that’s Crewe Alexandra who were doing it in League Two, and we were doing it in the Championship.
“On top of that we’ve had youth internationals in Jordan Willis and other lads in other age groups, as well as Apprentice of the Year in Gael Bigirimana, and hopefully that success will continue.”