Mark Ashton (inset) says the Ipswich Town academy is set for ‘a lease of new life’ thanks to Category One status. Under-21s attacker Tommy Taylor (main) was recently on the Blues’
Mark Ashton (inset) says the Ipswich Town academy is set for ‘a lease of new life’ thanks to Category One status. Under-21s attacker Tommy Taylor (main) was recently on the Blues’ bench. (Image: Ross Halls/PA)
Ipswich Town chairman Mark Ashton is keen to see the club’s academy producing players for the first team once again.
Kieran McKenna’s current squad currently contains just one homegrown player in the form of Luke Woolfenden, while Harry Clarke (an academy graduate who was sold and re-signed), Elkan Baggott and Cameron Humphreys will all return from loan spells away this summer.
The Blues have spent in excess of £125m on transfer and loan fees to acquire 16 different players since securing promotion to the Premier League.
The hope, however, is that Category One status – which will bring improved facilities, staffing and games programme – will see the club able to produce more of their own talent.
Luke Woolfenden is the only homegrown player in the current Ipswich Town first team squad.
Luke Woolfenden is the only homegrown player in the current Ipswich Town first team squad. (Image: Steve Waller)
“We’re tracking quite well for Category One,” revealed Ashton. “We’ve had the initial audit and the feedback on the audit has been outstanding. That is huge credit to Gary Probert (director of football operations), Luke Werhun (chief operating officer) and Dimitri (Halajko, academy director
“I think the appointment of Dimitri in our boys’ academy has, excuse the pun, been a game changer for us. He’s a genuine professional and is a brilliant link to Kieran (McKenna) and the first team.
“The academy is going to be an area of substantial investment for the club.
“Ultimately, as we move forward, we want a blend of our homegrown talent and players that we’ve purchased in the first team squad.
“For a number of years the academy has been under-invested in, run down. But now this is an absolute new lease of life that is going to be given.
“If everything went perfectly well, we could be licensed by the summer. We’ve still got work to do but there’s a strong possibility of that.
“The challenge to us is the facilities, because I can only build them at a certain rate, but there may be ways in which we can put temporary facilities in which leads into the permanent facilities so we can get a year ahead of the curve.”
Flynn Downes, currently at Southampton, has been the biggest success story to come out of Ipswich’s academy in recent years.
Flynn Downes, currently at Southampton, has been the biggest success story to come out of Ipswich’s academy in recent years. (Image: PA)
Ipswich’s academy produced a string of top players back in the 90s, including the likes of Kieron Dyer, Darren Bent, Richard Wright and Titus Bramble. In more recent times, Flynn Downes, Andre Dozzell and Teddy Bishop came through into the first team before departing.
Tommy Taylor, a 19-year-old versatile forward who has been at the club since the age of 10, was an unused sub for Town’s recent FA Cup fifth round exit at Nottingham Forest.
Town have recruited England U18 left-back Somto Boniface (Chelsea) and midfielder Tudor Mendel (Anderlecht) for their Under-23s in the last two transfer windows.
Ipswich signed England U18 left-back Somto Boniface from Chelsea in January for their U21s.
Ipswich signed England U18 left-back Somto Boniface from Chelsea in January for their U21s. (Image: Ross Halls)
Asked if the academy really was still seen a major part of the club, Ashton insisted: “It has to be. It has to be.
“The challenge that we’ve had, both on and off the pitch, is that the rate of growth has been so quick and so steep.
“As I’ve said before, you can’t get infrastructure built underneath it quick enough. As a result, we’ve just had to put a lot of our energy and focus into the first team and Portman Road and getting ready for the Premier League.
“But the plan is the plan and the academy is a fundamental pillar upon that football development plan.
“We want to see homegrown talent coming through the system, whether that’s from nine years of age right the way through to the first team, like a Woolfy (Luke Woolfenden), or whether that’s someone we acquire for the 23s and then develop for a couple of years ready for the first team again.
“But the academy is a rock solid pillar that we’ve got to build on.”
Ipswich signed midfielder Tudor Mendel, a former Chelsea youth teamer, from Anderlecht last summer. He’s been playing for the U21s.
Ipswich signed midfielder Tudor Mendel, a former Chelsea youth teamer, from Anderlecht last summer. He’s been playing for the U21s. (Image: Ross Halls)
Meanwhile, Ashton revealed that work has started on the club’s new multi-million pound major training ground revamp.
“You’ll have seen plans were approved this week,” he said. “I think there’s some diggers on site now almost and we’re very keen to get underway.
“The current building that accommodates everything will be totally refurbished and that will ultimately be for our Cat One academy and women’s team, then the new building will be for the men’s first team. They’re all going to get substantially improved facilities.”
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