THE YOUTHS HAVE IT; SOMETIMES TOO MUCH?

It took a 16 year old Heart's footballer to dent Celtic's remarkable 69 (steady) game unbeaten run. Harry Cochrane (below) is the first Scottish FA performance school graduate to start a Ladbrokes' Premiership match and he scored in the 26th minute to score his first goal for the Edinburgh club. He was not allowed to take the MOTM prize, a champagne bottle!

OK it is Scottish football, but for a 16 year old to make his mark is a bit special.

17 year old Phil Foden, born in Stockport and now with one PL game under his belt, against Spurs at the weekend! has been placed on the big stage by his performances for England's Youth teams including those recent World Cup victories, named Best Player in the FIFA WC in September.

He is also the youngest English player (17 years 192 days) to start a Champions League game at Shakhtar Donetsk last week. he has been at Manchester City since he was 8 and signed forms at 14 in July 2016.

Last night he was voted the BBC Young Sports' Personality of the Year.

These young men are the lucky ones, so far. Have a look at the BT Sport 1 film "No hunger in Paradise"**. Michael Calvin's film reveals (as if we didn't know already) the failings of our footballing conveyor belt; where young players get hopes up when they are just in single figures and spat out as teenagers. My junior club has a couple of U14s who have flirted with the local professional club but have been released. The clubs are a law unto themselves, but in some countries, Switzerland (FIFA Rank 8) was named. Here the national FA tells their domestic clubs how to prepare their players with the reward of top-down funding. Can't imagine that happening in our national Premier League?!

Arsene Wenger, always coming up with bright ideas, suggests that youth players should be paid the same. so they choose clubs for sporting reasons and not the money. Earning too much money too early has negative effects on these young men.

Many young players have fallen by the wayside; West Ham U21 captain Kieran Bywater has ended playing college soccer in the US, Ryan Inniss, once captain of England U16s, is on an assault charge and Zak Brunt at 5 with Sheffield United, 6 Manchester United, Derby at 14 and now Matlock Town. If a club wants to sign him they will have to pay Derby for developing him.

There are 1.5 million young players in England, 180 make it to PL pros.
Many of those lads will have no GCSEs to include on their c.v.
** To be shown again Sunday January 7th 6.30pm BT Sport1.