At a glance, Charlton Athletic appear to be your average EFL Championship football club. Sitting near the bottom of their division, fighting for survival, you could be forgiven for not expecting much from this team any time soon.
However, for the Addicks, it’s all about the future. Having invested heavily in their youth academy in recent years, Charlton now boast a youth set-up that could challenge that of almost any team in the country.
In this shortened season, the teams under-18 group has begun turning some heads. The squad, led by Head Coach Anthony Hayes features some of the most promising 16-18-year-old talent in the country. Before their season was cut short due to the recent Covid-19 outbreak, the u18’s had won 12 of their 20 league and cup games whilst maintaining one of the stoutest defences in the league.
A Summer Of Tough Decisions
Sadly, with the abrupt end to the season, also comes the end of the road for the aging players who will no longer be eligible next campaign. For Academy Manager Steve Avory and his coaches, comes the unenviable task of having to decide which players will continue their development as part of the u23’s and which will have to follow their footballing dreams elsewhere.
With such an abundance of talent in the team, decisions must often be made on more than just a player’s ability. Academy Manager Avory highlights the importance of a players personality and maturity when assessing whether they will progress onto the u23’s and eventually the first team.
“You know when you spot somebody who has talent but there are many other factors…as I often tell the current players, talent alone is not enough…it’s about the person and the personality and the qualities within that personality that are needed to be successful as a footballer.”
A Victim Of Their Own Success
Although losing players in never easy, departures are nothing new to u18’s Head Coach Anthony Hayes. With his group having exceeded expectations this season, stand out players have started being called up to the U23’s and could soon have their sights set on representing the first team.
Despite this being what every coach wants for their players, it makes Hayes task even tougher but this is a challenge that Hayes relishes:
“I think it’s most difficult to keep the team selection consistent, because that will change week by week depending on the needs of the u23’s because sometimes our 18’s, who are good enough will go and play for the u23’s as well as part of their programs…but that’s the challenge that I love.”
A Philosophy Based On Effort
It’s clear that Hayes’ passion and work ethic has been adopted by his players, as evident from their consistent improvement throughout the shortened season. Selecting the team might be tough but getting his players to play hard is the least of Coach Hayes worries.
“It’s a challenge that I don’t really look at (keeping the team motivated), because the players all want to be a part of this group. They work very hard as a group daily to try and push one another, and we demand that from them. Getting the right work ethic is something that hasn’t even troubled me so far in my time here.”
Having a consistent philosophy throughout all ages of the academy could be the secret to the Addicks’ success. Each of Charlton’s youth teams play with the same formation and tactical approach. This consistency in play style allows for seamless transition between the u16s, u18s and finally u23s.
Following In Famous Footsteps
With talent at all age groups, a great coaching philosophy and an environment that allows players to advance seamlessly through the ranks, its clear why Charlton’s academy has produced some real stars over the years.
With the likes of Jonjo Shelvey, Joe Gomes and Adamola Lookman all coming through the Charlton set-up in the last decade, it’s clear there’s a real plan in place to get young players into the professional game.
With a string of great performances in 2019/2020, some have tipped goalkeeper Nathan Harvey and winger Luca Albon as favorites to join the aforementioned trio of academy graduates in the professional ranks.
Whether Albon, Harvey and the rest of their young talent can one day lead Charlton back to the promised land is anyone’s guess but one things for sure, if these u18s continue to develop the way they have been, the future of Charlton Athletic is in safe hands.
