Academy Starlets Hailed For On & Off Pitch Achievements

The on and off pitch achievements of eleven young footballers has been recognised by League Football Education (LFE) in ‘The 11’ competition and our own Harry Pickering is one of them.

Judged by LFE’s team of regional officers, this accolade, will be given on four occasions during 2016-17 to celebrate the holistic development of young players, a barometer which is also applied to the Apprentice of the Year Awards later in the season. ‘The 11’ which acknowledges the football and academic progress of Under-18 players on apprenticeships at current or former English Football League clubs is also designed to assess other factors such as involvement in community or charity based initiatives.

Charlton Athletic starlet, Ademola Lookman, and AFC Bournemouth midfielder Lewis Cook (formerly Leeds United) were both named in ‘The 11’ ahead of becoming the Championship’s Apprentice of the Year, while others to previously feature in this select group include, Dael Fry (Middlesbrough) and Conor Chaplin (Portsmouth).

The 11 – October 2016:

Dylan Sumner (Blackpool)        •

Danny Barker (Brighton & Hove Albion)        •

Harry Pickering (Crewe Alexandra)        •

Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham)        •

Charley Barker (Leyton Orient)        •

Akin Famewo (Luton Town)        •

Tom Marriott (Mansfield Town)        •

Aaron Morley (Rochdale)        •

Jordan Hallam (Sheffield United)        •

Will Henry (Swindon Town)        •

Eddie Clarke (Tranmere Rovers)         •

LFE chief executive Alan Sykes added: “The 11 is directly associated with apprentice reviews that are conducted by our regional officer’s throughout the season. It is a great way to highlight the achievements and progression of talented young footballers who apply themselves to all aspects of their apprenticeship.”

For in depth profiles on all of the players named in ‘The 11’ for October please visit the LFE website.