So, just to confirm, you honestly believe that a J-League Club is of better quality than a premiership side?
Young Kiwis in UK
If Junior Fitzgerald was knocking in a goal a game playing for his Japan College side then he might be on the radar. Kris Bright has made the squad by scoring regularly at a lower level.
Second of all analyser, it is disingenuous to say that he has been playing for the reserves as there is no reserve league. As his mother wrote on another thread, he has been selected in first team squads but hasn't played. I'm sure once he gets some time playing at first team level he'll be looked at but while he's not playing football matches it's pretty difficult to make a case for selecting him.
sorry to continue the non-uk talk. but for what you are saying James Dean that neither Costa/Draper/Spoonley should have ever played for the age groups in the last 2 years, considering their game time was pretty much nil. obviously we don't know how good this japan lad is without him getting a look in.
Wishing the best of luck to a couple of our up and coming young players- Cameron Lindsay (Blackburn) and Andrew Milne (Rangers) on there way to play the U17 Japanese National team for NZ under 17 team this week in Fukuoka, Japan..
The Japanese will have an advantage of having played together as a team for the last year whereas the NZ team will be trying new combinations with these boys involved for the up and coming World Cup qualifiers next month in NZ - foremost in there minds.
They will also be playing the top high school from Thailand and a Korean High School which has a Korean National team member in there squad.
Northampton Under 18s 1-2 Wycombe Under 18s Mark withers scored
Had a Reserve game last Monday against Spurs, on the bench until 61st minute-did well considering the class of players on the pitch , held his own. Fans seem pleased with him, the following link shows some discussion by them regarding the academy boys: http://boards.footymad.net/forum.php?tno=550&fid=255&sty=2&act=1&mid=2126462825
West Brom Reserve game against Portsmouth (away) on Tuesday. Hopefully Chris will get a run but seeing as the 1st team did not play over the weekend Tony Mowbray may want to give the Pros a run.
Whatcha mean? Don't they see eye to eye or something???
Congratulations to him, this amazing news. Fingers crossed he gets on the field.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7978849.stm
Portsmouth:
James, Kaboul, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson, Pennant (Gekas 90), Mullins, Hughes, Nugent (Belhadj 64), Kranjcar, Crouch.
Subs Not Used: Begovic, Pamarot, Kanu, Utaka, Basinas.
Booked: Hreidarsson, Kranjcar, Kaboul.
Goals: Kaboul 33, Kranjcar 65.
West Brom:
Carson, Zuiverloon (Hoefkens 77), Meite, Olsson, Robinson, Morrison
(Chris Woods 75), Greening, Koren, Dorrans, Brunt (Mulumbu 81),
Fortune.
Subs Not Used: Kiely, Menseguez, Borja Valero, Simpson.
Booked: Dorrans.
Goals: Greening 48, Brunt 62.
Att: 20,376
Ref: Mike Dean (Wirral).
He'd be the youngest to make it though??
Only Nelsen, Elliot, Hay, and Wood that I can think of.
Agreed. Playing for WBA has to mean he's at least the quality of many of the a-league strikers so I'll expect to see him in Ricki's Confederations Cup squad. I hope it isn't true that there's a chance he won't be selected based on Ricki and Chris's father not seeing eye-to-eye. Immaturity like that is only detrimental.
Hopefully he continues to get game time in the first team.
Grant and Julie must be very proud as they too have made sacrifices for Chris to follow his dream. Now it is all starting to pay off.
He would have to do a reverse McGlinchey on us, he's already played for NZ at U-17 level. He would have to declare a change before his 21st birthday.
Wish the media had cught it, would have been a better focus for News items than focussin on a 17yo Italian.
Hard News2009-04-12 21:21:31
Here's hoping Ricki does the smart thing and call him up asap (and yes before you mention Killy, I know he has played Euro footie but he has never graced one of Europe's elite leagues).
He's been a machine for me on FM 08 & 09 and its good to see him replicating that in real life.
disco_mart2009-04-13 06:10:09
This is a very good point.
The only unfortunate thing is that West Brom are going down. Hope he gets signed by someone else in the summer or if not that then is at least a 1st team reg in the Championship next year.