The success of Glentoran’s Academy continues to go from strength to strength. In what has already been a record-breaking season for the club in terms of trials and international selections, we are delighted to announce that two U16 Academy players have been offered a week long trial with Crystal Palace commencing on 24th November. These trial offers come just a short while after the Academy being so well represented in the recent Northern Ireland Victory Shield squad which defeated Scotland.
The 2014/15 season has produced advanced trials and international call ups for a staggering 42 players of various ages ranging from U11 to U19. The Glentoran Academy has no fewer than 10 international players at both U14 and U15 level which is more than any of other club in the country. In recent weeks 6 Academy players were flown across to Liverpool for trials, whilst one player was invited to Manchester United, one to Everton and one at Sunderland. There are also boys currently on trial with Rangers, Nottingham Forest, Blackburn Rovers and Wigan.
The two boys from the U16s were spotted by Lee Mudd who was recently appointed Head of Scouting in Northern Ireland for Premier League outfit Crystal Palace. Lee, a former Glentoran Academy player himself, was previously the Chief Scout in Northern Ireland for Brentford FC. It is indicative of the talent and reputation of the Glentoran Academy that Lee was able to come straight to the Glens for players so soon after his appointment. Academy players at Glentoran are getting noticed and the club is being proactive in this process by forging close working relationships with English clubs through people like Lee. It is testament to the tremendous endeavour of our skilled and dedicated coaches that Premier League clubs are showing such a strong interest in several of our players.
Lee Mudd knows what it takes to progress through Glentoran’s Academy. He was a key member of a very successful U16s side back 1998 and it was while he was playing there that he was scouted by Stockport County. He left Northern Ireland at 16 and signed for The Hatters who were then managed by Gary Megson and his assistant Mike Phelan. After subsequent spells at Bolton and Brighton, Lee returned home to sign for Crusaders and it was during his time at Seaview that he was invited for a trial with Lyon in France. He played against a French League Select XI that included players such as the late Marc Vivien Foe and Christophe Dugarry and impressed so much that he was invited back for a second trial. It was during this second week that Lee heard the devastating news that his father was in a critical condition in hospital and returned home prematurely.
Following the death of his father, Lee took some time away from football. He was offered a contract with Greek outfit Panionios after trialling with them in Italy on a pre-season tour but opted for a club in the national league in New Zealand to play under ex-Wales boss Bobby Gould. He took up the position of chief scout for Brentford but following some crippling budget cutbacks he opted for pastures new and was recommended to Crystal Palace by their head of recruitment Karl Sharman who also scouts for the Northern Ireland national team. Lee recalls,"I think a few people had applied so I was pretty chuffed to be given the opportunity to be involved with a premiership club and be in the position to offer young lads some fantastic opportunities and see them achieve their dreams."
Lee firmly believes that any young player at the Glens is at the perfect club if they’re hoping to forge a career in football both home and abroad: "Playing at the Glens U16s and being in a successful side gave me the perfect platform to go and make a career from the game. At the time I was being pushed into the Under 18s and was highly regarded there. Despite their aspirations for me as a potential Glentoran first team player, the club were still very accommodating in facilitating the opportunity for me to go for trials and when I eventually signed for Stockport County they were genuinely delighted for me as it was all about seeing me develop as a player."
Recently installed Senior Academy Manager David Lowry has wasted no time and is delighted at the prospect of creating opportunities for his young players by building strong relationships with professional clubs:
"At Glentoran academy we continually strive to develop the best young talent and it is encouraging when clubs of the stature of Crystal Palace express a keen interest in our players. We will always ensure that we facilitate our players with the best available opportunities to progress and develop their careers whilst remaining focused on our primary objective of producing first team players for Glentoran FC. Building strong relationships with clubs like Palace is a vital cog in that process as the players benefit from the exposure to pro-club experiences whilst our coaches can learn and develop as a result of the knowledge shared by their professional counterparts."
Lee Mudd echoed those sentiments and whilst he is looking to forge strong relationships with all Irish League clubs he was quick to point out that the Glentoran Academy is a model structure that could serve as an example to others:
"Basically my plan is to build strong relationships with all Irish league clubs and Glentoran in particular have a fantastic academy. I also believe that the way they conduct themselves by fully supporting the lads getting these opportunities should serve as an example to all other clubs in the country. I’d like to be the first point of contact for the club regarding any talent they deem good enough to get an opportunity at Palace."
This won’t be the first time that Glentoran and Crystal Palace have traded players. Back in 1995 the Glens managed to secure the signing of one Glen Matthew Little. After rejection in South London, Little made the bold decision to resurrect his career in Northern Ireland, playing first-team football away from the glare of publicity that accompanies the English game. It was while at the East Belfast club that Little first earned the cult hero reputation from fans that would follow him throughout his career. He scored a winning goal in the 1996 Irish Cup Final and then netted against Sparta Prague in the Cup Winners Cup. After two years at the Glens, Little was keen to return to English football and his move to Burnley was always on the cards thanks to the influence of Tommy Cassidy, who made almost 100 appearances for The Clarets in the early 1980s.
It’s another impressive progressive step taken by the Glentoran Academy this season and everyone associated with the club would like to take the opportunity to wish all those boys involved in trials the very best.