[Albion] The 2024-25 1st-year scholars and U-18s match thread

[AZ Gull]

A post that is really more about NEXT SEASON's 1st year scholars, but this seems like the most appropriate place for it.....

Albion have just tweeted a few pics of the U-18s "working towards the weekend" (although I think the photos were taken on Tuesday, if not before). This one is of particular interest:-

From left to right we have: Jake Evans, Zebedee Lawson, Bode Newnham-Reeve, Tate Ferdinand, Jesse Middleton, Jackson Morby and Tobi Akapo.

Out of these seven players only two are current 1st years. As I believe the decisions on next season's scholar intake will already have been taken, this is a pretty strong indication that the U-16 players pictured have been taken on (of course, it is always possible the club might have been undecided on one or two who might have been given an extended period to prove themselves).

Jake Evans has recently come over from Tottenham's academy system (I'm guessing he wasn't offered a scholarship by the Lilywhites). Zebedee Lawson has made a couple of substitute appearances for the U-18s already this season.

I suspect that Zac Brennan, Jacob Parsons and Cristiano Anah have also been offered their scholarships.

One of the other photos tweeted shows Fraser Widdop as part of the group - he is still only an U-15 but has already been given his scholarship by Albion (to commence in the summer of 2026).

I know of a couple of the U-16s who have been released - Harvey Boddy has signed with QPR and Aussie Pugh has joined Brentford, by the looks of it.

 

[AZ Gull]

Some of next season's intake getting their first involvements with the U-18s today:-

 

[AZ Gull]

Good 3-2 win at Arsenal for the U-18s today. Two of the goals came from U-16s in the form of Jacob Parsons and Zebedee Lawson (with the winner coming from 1st-year scholar Younes Ibrahim).

A debut for 1st-year scholar goalkeeper Will Rutter (second debutant GK in successive games). There was also a debut as a sub for U-16 Bode Newnham-Reeve.

 

[schmunk]

Debut goal from Zebedee Lawson? I bet that put a spring in his step...

 

[AZ Gull]

Debut goal from Zebedee Lawson? I bet that put a spring in his step...

Nope, he scored in the 5-3 defeat at home to Spurs two weeks ago.

 

[Bakero]

Debut goal from Zebedee Lawson? I bet that put a spring in his step...

Nope, he scored in the 5-3 defeat at home to Spurs two weeks ago.

2 on the bounce then? Magic

 

[SeagullsoverLondon]

Arsenal midfielder Zac Shuaib on trial at Brighton

Arsenal midfielder Zac Shuaib is on trial at Brighton & Hove Albion. The 17-year-old recently returned to training with Arsenal U18s after four months out injured. Shuaib is unlikely to be offe…

arsenalyouth.wordpress.com

 

[AZ Gull]

Arsenal midfielder Zac Shuaib on trial at Brighton

Arsenal midfielder Zac Shuaib is on trial at Brighton & Hove Albion. The 17-year-old recently returned to training with Arsenal U18s after four months out injured. Shuaib is unlikely to be offe…

arsenalyouth.wordpress.com

No idea if Shuaib will be offered a deal by Albion but he isn't exactly your typical footballer. His dad is Nigerian, his mum is half-Spanish and half-Indian and he attended Eton College.

 

[Bozza]

Ronnie Gorman reportedly on trial at Arsenal:

Arsenal take Brighton and Norwich City players on trials

Arsenal named two trialists in their u18 squad to face Leicester City over the weekend, with Ronnie Gorman featuring on the pitch for the Gunners.

dailycannon.com

 

[GT49er]

Ronnie Gorman reportedly on trial at Arsenal:

Arsenal take Brighton and Norwich City players on trials

Arsenal named two trialists in their u18 squad to face Leicester City over the weekend, with Ronnie Gorman featuring on the pitch for the Gunners.

dailycannon.com

Gorman doing the rounds on trial? Norwich, and now Arsenal - is he likely to be released and therefore looking for a new club, or is he after a better deal?

 

[Albion Robster]

Gorman doing the rounds on trial? Norwich, and now Arsenal - is he likely to be released and therefore looking for a new club, or is he after a better deal?

I thought and heard Gorman was doing well for the U18's, obviously not. Only played 14 minutes for the U21's, so not ready to step up yet when others in his age group have this season. Howell, Lane, Nti and West have all stepped up this season.

 

[Hiheidi]

"Trialist 2, Gorman, did make an appearance on Saturday, playing the last 10 or so minutes of Arsenal’s 4-3 victory. The midfielder has made 15 appearances for Brighton this season and recently signed with talent agency Mac Sports Management Int."

Did he get a new agent because he wanted a move or is the new agent pushing him to move??

 

[GT49er]

I thought and heard Gorman was doing well for the U18's, obviously not. Only played 14 minutes for the U21's, so not ready to step up yet when others in his age group have this season. Howell, Lane, Nti and West have all stepped up this season.

Only just turned 18 - so still actually qualifies an an U18 player - so plenty of time to step up.

"Trialist 2, Gorman, did make an appearance on Saturday, playing the last 10 or so minutes of Arsenal’s 4-3 victory. The midfielder has made 15 appearances for Brighton this season and recently signed with talent agency Mac Sports Management Int."

Did he get a new agent because he wanted a move or is the new agent pushing him to move??

Good question! Could well be the answer (although having a trial with Norwich doesn't seem to fit with that narrative).

 

[Hiheidi]

Good question! Could well be the answer (although having a trial with Norwich doesn't seem to fit with that narrative).

Where are you getting that he's had a trial with Norwich? (Arsenal had two trialists - Gorman and a player from Norwich, the article didn't say Gorman went on trial to Norwich).

 

[GT49er]

Where are you getting that he's had a trial with Norwich? (Arsenal had two trialists - Gorman and a player from Norwich, the article didn't say Gorman went on trial to Norwich).

".......and Gorman’s previous game was on a trial with Norwich on March 8th, also against Leicester’s u18s!"

Yes it did!

 

[AZ Gull]

I think the fact that Gorman has not made a single appearance for the U-21s this season tells us everything we need to know.

Anybody remember that Spanish "wonderkid" Luis Garcia who served his scholarship almost ten years ago now? The one whose agent created his own logo for him after he had played about 6 games for the U-18s? Well, he made the grand total of ONE substitute appearance for the U-21s before buggering off into the footballing wilderness and eventually spent five Covid-interrupted seasons playing for......the Men's Soccer team at Providence College (a private university in Rhode Island, USA).

I'm sure Ronnie Gorman is a talented footballer, but talent alone is insufficient to make the breakthrough. Good luck to him, wherever he ends up.

 

[GT49er]

I think the fact that Gorman has not made a single appearance for the U-21s this season tells us everything we need to know.

Anybody remember that Spanish "wonderkid" Luis Garcia who served his scholarship almost ten years ago now? The one whose agent created his own logo for him after he had played about 6 games for the U-18s? Well, he made the grand total of ONE substitute appearance for the U-21s before buggering off into the footballing wilderness and eventually spent five Covid-interrupted seasons playing for......the Men's Soccer team at Providence College (a private university in Rhode Island, USA).

I'm sure Ronnie Gorman is a talented footballer, but talent alone is insufficient to make the breakthrough. Good luck to him, wherever he ends up.

Your words of wisdom are always welcome......and no, I don't have the faintest recollection of Luis Garcia!

 

[AZ Gull]

Your words of wisdom are always welcome......and no, I don't have the faintest recollection of Luis Garcia!

This was his thread on here (he actually joined us as an U-16 schoolboy, without any mention from the club, of course). The tweet in the first post of the thread is no longer available but if I remember correctly he was pictured wearing an Albion shirt although the story in the tweet was about Real Madrid and Barcelona fighting over him.

The thread also contains the first mention of a lad called "Sanchez". Not sure anyone would have predicted that nine years later he'd be moving on for 20 million!

Does anybody know why this kid is wearing an Albion shirt?

 

[GT49er]

This was his thread on here (he actually joined us as an U-16 schoolboy, without any mention from the club, of course). The tweet in the first post of the thread is no longer available but if I remember correctly he was pictured wearing an Albion shirt although the story in the tweet was about Real Madrid and Barcelona fighting over him.

The thread also contains the first mention of a lad called "Sanchez". Not sure anyone would have predicted that nine years later he'd be moving on for 20 million!

Does anybody know why this kid is wearing an Albion shirt?

Sorry, that link doesn't work - but some of us were following the exploits of a kid called Sanchez quite a while ago. Maybe not 9 years ago, but seven years ago we were following his progress at FGR though!
Bloody good, but with too many rushes of blood was the FGR fans response, was it not?

 

[AZ Gull]

Sorry, that link doesn't work -

Really? It's a link to an old thread on NSC. Works fine for me.