Warnock was saying last week that he feels we need one or two more experienced Under 23s for the Development team and has been trying to persuade Vincent Tan that we should try to take on a few such players (there must be stacks of them out there without contracts after being released by their clubs in the summer).Originally Posted by ccfc_is_my_life
I must admit that I didn't think much of the idea at first, because it struck me as if we were looking to go down the O'Sullivan and Wharton route again, but I suppose it's different because we're talking about players who you'd think would be busting a gut to make the most of the second chance they've been given as opposed to someone who had almost become "part of the furniture" at City.
We had quite a few trialists playing for us in the early weeks of last season and that's how we ended up with Ibrahim Meite - perhaps there's provision for one such signing every season now?
I've just been looking at David Brooks' Wikipedia page which says that he was involved with the Man City Academy from the age of seven, "before he switched to the Sheffield United academy in 2014". That wording leaves it open as to whether he turned down a deal that was on offer from Man City to sign for a club that was then in League One, but, as he was seventeen at the time, it seems far more likely to me that he had been released by Man City. For me, that's the sort of age group City should be looking at - we do sign youngsters released by Premier League clubs every year, but, invariably, they struggle to establish themselves in our Under 18 side and are usually no better than the lads we already have - Ryan Reynolds, who left Everton this summer, was doing well for us at Under 23 and Under 18 level mind, but he has not played since he sustained a serious looking injury playing for the Development team about a month ago.
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