Sevenoaks Town launch Player Pathway to progress home grown talent through the youth ranks into their first team

SEVENOAKS TOWN manager Micky Collins says there is a clear route for home grown talent to progress through to his first team.

The last player to come through the ranks at Greatness Park and establish himself in the first team is defender Jack Miles.

The Oaks have launched an under 21 team that will play in the Suburban League and they will be training with the under 18s, who play in the Kent Youth League Premier and The FA Youth Cup.  The under 18s will be managed by Darren Mace, while Brad Draper will be in charge of the reserves.

The coaching for the combined squads will be with Scott Chalmers-Stevens and former Gillingham midfielder Nicky Southall.

This structure is aimed at helping to develop the young talent at Sevenoaks Town, preparing them for senior football in the years to come.

Last season Collins gave four 16-year-olds their first team debuts and a number of last years’ under 16s were invited to train with the first team and Collins fully expects this to be the same again this season.

The step between youth football and the first team has proved a difficult one to bridge for many clubs, but Collins feels the investment in top quality coaches and a clear players’ pathway for the club’s under 18s, under 21s and reserves will help change matters at Sevenoaks Town.

Collins told www.sevenoakstownfc.co.uk: “We are making significant changes with the structure of the under 18s, under 21s and our reserves.  We will hand pick the highest quality youth players and bring them into the under 21s and reserves to aid their development as young footballers.

“We have launched our Players Pathway for U7s to U18s this season and the next step was to put in place a structure that would help bridge the gap between our U18s and the first team, we believe we have done this with by introducing an U21s and Reserves but more importantly we have created a structure that means the U18s and U21s are effectively one squad who will be coached by Scott and Nicky and as these players progress they will have an opportunity to experience reserve team football and before being given an opportunity to get involved with our first team”.

Chairman Paul Lansdale added: “The club will provide whatever support is required to help bring these players up to the quality necessary to make our first
team.” 

Collins guided Sevenoaks Town to their highest league position of fifth in the Southern Counties East Football League last season and on Saturday they host Sporting Club Thamesmead in the FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round.

The two sides met at the same stage last season and Seven Acre & Sidcup (as they were known then) came out on top winning the replay on penalties.

Visit Sevenoaks Town’s website:  www.sevenoakstownfc.co.uk