The summer rebuilding work to the first team and development squads has begun with five of our most promising youngsters signing contract extensions, reaffirming the Club’s commitment to developing homegrown talent.
Central defenders Jamie Mercer and Lewis Carrol, midfielders Aaron Cummings and Zak To, and winger Jack Searle will all remain at Cormack Park next season as they continue their football journeys with the Dons.
The five players have spent much of the season out on loan as part of a new youth development strategy by AFC to expose young players to first team football at an earlier age, whilst they also have played for the Dons Development team during the week in the Aberdeenshire Cup, Aberdeenshire Shield, KDM Evolution Trophy and the SFA Youth Cup.
“Securing these five young players on renewed deals if a vital part of our long-term strategy”, said Aberdeen FC Youth Academy Director, Stuart Glennie.
“The contract extensions are also a reward for the effort these guys have put in considering some have been on a journey within the Youth Academy since they were eight years old, so this is great progress for them and for us as a Club.
“They are still relatively early in their respective pathways, but it shows we have good players in this building. Ultimately, if these guys perform in a year's time and the manager is seeing that, we'll be sitting down and we'll be extending these boys again, because that's what the pathway is all about. It's not often we've extended this amount of players at this time, and hopefully there are a couple more to come.
“We know what our strategy is, we need to get more players in the first team, and we’ve got a manager in place that wants to give these young players the opportunity if they earn it. As a Youth Academy, we’ve got good young players here who we believe can go and make an impact on our first team. It’s over to them to prove that now. The hard work starts here.”
Dons boss Stephen Robinson believes there is real talent emerging from the Academy.
He said: “I have already been really impressed with the standard of the young players at Aberdeen in my short time here”, said Stephen.
“I have been lucky enough to have been able to bring five or six of them over to the first team training pitches to have a look at them and to see how they fit into the first team environment, physically and mentally. I have been really pleased with the talent, and I believe we have several young players who have a bright future.
“They are all very aware of their positions and technically good, but a big thing is their physicality. You must be physically strong to play in the SPFL, and they have that in abundance. On that front, a lot of credit has to go to the academy staff, the sports science staff.
“There is a lot of work ahead for them. As everyone knows there is a big gap between academy football and first team football, but there are certainly some very exciting prospects.”
Having made the decision last summer to move away the traditional league structures in favour of a more dynamic model focussed on exposing these young players to the rigors of regular competitive football, the Club believes our best talents are now being tested at a high level, helping to aid their continued development.
Development Phase Coach Stuart Duff has been working with the players each day and recognises the progress that has been made already.
“The five guys that have currently signed contracts have earned it due to their professional approach. It's our belief that they have a lot to show, and a lot of improvements still to be made but we think they've got the characteristics to potentially go and play and train with the first team. That's the goal.
“Under the previous model the guys only had two years to prove themselves but by giving players that extra time we are allowing them to continue to physically mature, enhance their tactical understanding and they should be more suited to the men's game by then. It's fundamentally down to each player and how they've approached it. They've more than earned it.”