Micky Moore outlines plan for Shrewsbury Town's young talent
Shrewsbury Town are looking to develop relationships with non-league sides in a bid to bridge the gap between youth and first team football.
In recent years, only a small number of academy graduates have gone on to break into the fringes of the first team squad at the Croud Meadow.
The most recent success story in terms of a player being handed a chance in the Salop first team was Travis Hernes.
As a 17-year-old, Hernes was promoted to the Salop first team last summer and shone in the Carabao Cup tie with Leeds United, before quickly being sold to Newcastle United.
Salop’s director of football Micky Moore has insisted that strides have already been made in terms of improving Shrewsbury’s academy – to develop players who can go and make an impact in the first team.
However, he has explained that because of the large gap between the clubs under 18 side and the first team – they want to develop links with non-league sides so a number of players can be sent out on loan to gain valuable experience.
Speaking on the In The Stiffs podcast, he revealed conversations have already been had with one side, Shifnal Town, and they are keen to develop more relation- ships.
He said: “The gap from 18 to first team is too big.
“At Cheltenham we turned the academy upside down and had to think outside the box.
“One member of staff went to manage at step five, another went to play for a different team at step five, and our youth team manager went to manage at step four.
“When we got into step three clubs, and then the only youth game academy players would play would be the FA Youth Cup.
“We have to do that. This year we are speaking to Shifnal at step four to say, okay, we need our 17-year-olds there.
“We want to speak with teams at step three. Say for example Telford.
“We’d say, we’ve got a lad here who has played 50 games in non-league already and is ready to go to the next level.
“The young lads need to learn the game, because under-18s football doesn’t learn you the game.
“Before Travis you have to go back a long way to see a player who was sold to a Premier League club.
“There have been others who have come through, Ryan Woods, Connor Goldson, Jon Taylor.”
