AZ Gull
@SeagullsAcademy @seagullsacademy.bsky.social
Last Monday night Albion U-23s lost 2-0 at Villa Park; one of Villa 's central defenders was a lad called Jacob Bedeau. He is only 17. Villa purchased him from Bury on the last day of the transfer window in January for a fee thought to be around £900,000.
What has any of that got to do with this thread? Bedeau was in the Leyton Orient youth system but was released last season during his U-16 schoolboy season. He ended up being picked up by Bury and he started his scholarship in July. The Bury youth manager was Ryan Kidd. When first team boss David Flitcroft was sacked in November 2016, Kidd became joint caretaker-manager (and then assistant to new boss Chris Brass). After making his debut for the first team when he came on as a sub at halftime in Bury's defeat against Millwall at the end of November, Bedeau started 6 matches for the Shakers and at one fixture there were reported to be 27 scouts watching him. Villa had a bid of £750,000 rejected before they finally agreed a deal.
I bet there are one or two at Leyton Orient regretting that decision to let him go last season....
What has any of that got to do with this thread? Bedeau was in the Leyton Orient youth system but was released last season during his U-16 schoolboy season. He ended up being picked up by Bury and he started his scholarship in July. The Bury youth manager was Ryan Kidd. When first team boss David Flitcroft was sacked in November 2016, Kidd became joint caretaker-manager (and then assistant to new boss Chris Brass). After making his debut for the first team when he came on as a sub at halftime in Bury's defeat against Millwall at the end of November, Bedeau started 6 matches for the Shakers and at one fixture there were reported to be 27 scouts watching him. Villa had a bid of £750,000 rejected before they finally agreed a deal.
I bet there are one or two at Leyton Orient regretting that decision to let him go last season....