Pathway for players and coaches in West Brom's flourishing academy

The academy is flourishing this season. Not only are Rekeem Harper and Sam Field regular first-team players, the Baggies have reached an FA Youth Cup semi-final for the first time in 41 years.

Albion have had more call-ups to the England youth squads than Manchester United and Liverpool, despite operating on a fraction of the budget. As an academy, the Baggies are punching above their weight.

There are plenty of people responsible for this success. Not least recruitment guru Steve Hopcroft and his unsung heroes of academy scouts, who spot talent among local youth teams.

But according to Mike Scott, the coach who has guided the under-18s to an historic semi-final, Albion are now reaping the rewards of years of hard work from academy manager Mark Harrison.

And as Scott reveals, this success is not just about creating a development pathway for players.

“Credit to Mark Harrison, he’s been here 12 years now,” said Scott. “He’s taken the club forward.

“It’s not just about the way he develops his players, it’s the way he develops his staff. We get an opportunity to develop ourselves. Look at the coaches who have had here over the years.

“Michael Appleton was originally an U14s coach, then an U18s coach, and ended up as first team coach [before going on to be manager].

“Keith Downing [now an England youth coach] was an U18s coach and ended up first team coach.

“Jamie Smith, who has done an unbelievable job with the U23s this season, started out with the U14s and was with the U18s for the last two years.

"Then you’ve got Jimmy Shan and Darren Moore, who are currently with the first team. All these staff get developed and get an opportunity to get better.”

Moore spent five years as an academy coach before working with the first team. He is now head coach.

Shan first joined the Baggies 13 years ago as under-7s coach, and is now a first team coach.

He was at The Hawthorns on Tuesday to watch the U18s beat Everton 4-3 and joined in the celebrations afterwards.

Their long-term vision for the club is based on home-grown talent developed in the Albion academy and Scott can see a future with five, six or seven graduates in the first team.

“That was the vision originally, with the old chairman,” he said. “He had a vision when he first took over the club, to have a first team full of academy graduates – a bit like the Barcelona model!

“There’s always been a pathway into the first team. Obviously it helps a lot more now we’ve got first team staff who have come through the academy because they’ve worked with the players.”

Supporters are already aware of the likes of Harper and Field, and are beginning to realise the potential of Rayhaan Tulloch, 18, and Morgan Rogers, 16.

But even behind them are future stars like Louie Barry, 15, who scored two goals for England U16s against Brazil at a recent tournament at St George’s Park.

The majority of these players are local. Ten of Albion’s starting XI against Everton hail from a 10-mile radius around The Hawthorns. They are lads from King’s Heath, Longbridge, Newtown, Erdington, Aston.

“We’ve got a massive crop coming through,” said Scott. “From the U12s all the way up to the U15s and U16s, those coming up behind the current U18s are really talented.”

Reaching the semi-final of the FA Youth Cup is the sign of progress made under Harrison over the past 12 years.

James Morrison, who won the competition with Middlesbrough, congratulated the youngsters in the dressing room after Tuesday’s 4-3 win over Everton.

“It’s a massive achievement for this academy,” said Scott. “These boys believe they could do well in the competition, they’re a side that have come through the academy together with a strong winning mentality.

“They’ve got to finals and semi-finals over the years. They’re used to progressing, but to get to a semi final of this particular competition is unbelievable.

“There was no fear before the game, just as there was no fear before Arsenal (in the last round).

“The pressure is on the other team really when you think about the budget of this academy compared to Arsenal’s budget, Everton’s budget, Man City’s budget.”

Albion now face the might of Manchester City in an FA Youth Cup semi-final.

But for many of those players, their next task is an important U23s match against Burnley in the Premier League Cup tomorrow night.

“What says it all is the amount of U18s playing in Jamie Smith’s U23s every week,” said Scott. “A lot of these lads played last Monday against Sunderland U23s [a 3-1 win] and they’ll go again on Friday in another big competition.

"In terms of an academy year, we’ve had players in the first team and could be progressing in two cup competitions. It’s been a really successful season.”