Coventry City's Academy manager Gregor Rioch has praised his squad of youngsters after guiding them to their 2-3 win in Saturday's season opener at Barnsley.
Rioch said to the CT: "What I witnessed on the team coach on the way back from Barnsley is probably something I have never seen before and it was such a great thing to witness.All the lads were listening to the live commentary of the first team's game with Derby and when City went a goal up all the young lads started shouted and cheering and singing City songs and it was a fantastic thing to see because you could see the team spirit pouring out of them."
During the past year several City academy graduates has made debuts for the senior side. Goalkeeper Michael Quirke, defenders Jermaine Grandison, Jordan Clarke and Nathan Cameron, strikers Shaun Jeffers and Callum Wilson and first year apprentices Jonson Clarke-Harris and Cyrus Christie have all made their first team debuts in the last year.
Jonson Clarke-Harris broke the club record by becoming the youngest ever City player at 16 years and 20 days old when he played in the Carling Cup first round defeat at Morecambe.
Rioch enthused, "The effect of seeing these young lads make a step up and appear in the first team has had a profound effect on all of the lads at the academy in their desire to improve, their application and the way they approach their football. It's as good as I have ever seen it."
With Aidy Boothroyd selecting some of his youngsters for senior duty, Rioch's job is made more difficult and gives him selection problem, but they are problems he is delighted to have.
"It's a bit of a strange position to be in because on the one hand you want to be successful at youth level, you want to breed that winning mentality and determination because that is what is required in the first team,"said Rioch, "However if we play on a Saturday morning and don't get the win because our youngsters are being picked for involvement in the first team then that is still success for us because first team football is the ultimate goal.
"That kind of experience is invaluable so as an academy manager to not have all of your players at your disposal because the first team manager involves them in his plans is a problem I would definitely welcome."
The next opponents for Rioch's Under 18's are Sheffield United who will visit the Alan Higgs centre for the second fixture of the 2010/11 Premier Academy League on Saturday, August 28th.
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