Latest news with #StevenGunn
BBC News
15-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Aberdeen confirm 'historic' partnership with Elgin
Aberdeen have confirmed a "historic" player development partnership with Scottish League Two side Elgin Pittodrie club say the agreement follows the introduction of a new Scottish FA initiative that has been "created to boost opportunities for young Scottish players".Seventeen-year-olds Dylan Ross, Jamie Mercer and Noah McDonnell will all move on loan to Elgin immediately, but players selected will be able to switch "between the parent and cooperation club throughout the season to increase playing time".Clubs can have multiple agreements across the SPFL pyramid, but only one in each tier. Elgin will be the Dons' League Two director of football Steven Gunn said the fourth-tier side will provide "an excellent platform" for their young added: "We were at Borough Briggs back in January to play a Scottish Cup fixture and not only were we thoroughly impressed by the facilities, but it was clear the team have a solid identity and a talented staff."From our early discussions it was apparent we are aligned in terms of our priorities for the development of our players, and importantly, Elgin demonstrated a sound knowledge of the players and a real desire to support their ongoing development."While we expect it to be a challenge for [the players], the opportunity for competitive first-team football, in the professional league system, is significant for our players. "We have taken a view that this is a better progression for our best young players, training daily at Cormack Park under a dedicated transition manager and being exposed to senior first-team football at the weekend, rather than playing against their peer group in Under-19 football."This agreement with Elgin is just the first, that covers League Two, and we hope to have others announced shortly."
The National
03-07-2025
- Business
- The National
Aberdeen sign wonderkid and announce radical overhaul of youth set-up
The Pittodrie club have, like many Scottish clubs, found it difficult to justify their extensive investment in developing homegrown talent in recent years due to the challenges presented by Brexit as well as an outdated FIFA training compensation matrix. However, the Scottish Cup winners, who plough £2.2m a year into rearing potential stars of tomorrow, are determined to retain their elite status within the Club Academy Scotland (CAS) framework. However, Aberdeen have decided they will not compete in the CAS Under-19 league going forward because they feel 'playing in a season-long, non-competitive youth league' was failing to produce the desired results. Read more: They are set to appoint a specialist transition coach who will work with a group of young players who will train with Jimmy Thelin's squad on a daily basis and gain international experience from a 'bespoke games programme'. Aberdeen director of football Steven Gunn explained: 'Given the challenge that Scottish football has in getting emerging talent into a first team environment, the decision has been taken to adopt a different approach, focusing on quality and not quantity. 'We are quite far down the line in terms of our recruitment of a transition coach and hope to have someone appointed in the coming weeks. This is a critical role, so we need to ensure we get it right. 'The transition coach will work alongside manager Jimmy Thelin and the wider first team coaching staff to help ensure a smooth and effective pathway exists, bridging the gap between the academy and the demands of senior professional football, technically, physically and mentally.' (Image: SNS Group) He continued: 'This group of young players, sitting under the transition coach, will train with first team on a daily basis. We need to have belief they can take that step up because they will get exposed to first team football more quickly. 'However, we also need to trust that we are still going to be competitive because ultimately, we must win games of football. We are committed to keeping the pathway open so that when those opportunities do arise the space is there for our young players. 'We must take a much more aggressive approach to strategic recruitment of younger players, both from Scotland and abroad, to complement the very best players progressing from our own academy. 'This is something Aberdeen has deployed with great success in different periods of our history and has brought forward players like Willie Miller, Alex McLeish, Arthur Graham and current board director Willie Garner. 'The club has committed additional budget both operationally in youth talent identification and in potential transfer and compensation fees to maximise our outcomes in the development of young players.' Read more: Meanwhile, Aberdeen made their fifth signing of the summer last night when they signed Icelandic youth internationalist Kjartan Mar Kjartansson from Stjarnan subject to international clearance and visa formalities. The 18-year-old has signed a four year deal. Thelin said, 'Kjartan is a player who our scouting department have been aware of and tracking for some time. We are pleased to have signed him given the significant interest from some big clubs. For a player still so young, he has played an impressive volume of minutes for the first team and the Icelandic youth international squads. 'He has a very good defensive and positional mind for the game. He has performed well for Stjarnan when winning possession back for his team, makes key interceptions and protects the team in transition – all the qualities we look for at the base of our midfield. It' s impressive when you consider his age. 'He is a very exciting talent, but we also know we need to work with him to develop further, and he will take time to adapt to a new club, a new league and a new country. We must be patient, we must nurture him and at times we must protect him to ensure we are able to realise his significant potential.'
The Herald Scotland
03-07-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Aberdeen sign wonderkid and announce radical overhaul of youth set-up
However, the Scottish Cup winners, who plough £2.2m a year into rearing potential stars of tomorrow, are determined to retain their elite status within the Club Academy Scotland (CAS) framework. However, Aberdeen have decided they will not compete in the CAS Under-19 league going forward because they feel 'playing in a season-long, non-competitive youth league' was failing to produce the desired results. Read more: They are set to appoint a specialist transition coach who will work with a group of young players who will train with Jimmy Thelin's squad on a daily basis and gain international experience from a 'bespoke games programme'. Aberdeen director of football Steven Gunn explained: 'Given the challenge that Scottish football has in getting emerging talent into a first team environment, the decision has been taken to adopt a different approach, focusing on quality and not quantity. 'We are quite far down the line in terms of our recruitment of a transition coach and hope to have someone appointed in the coming weeks. This is a critical role, so we need to ensure we get it right. 'The transition coach will work alongside manager Jimmy Thelin and the wider first team coaching staff to help ensure a smooth and effective pathway exists, bridging the gap between the academy and the demands of senior professional football, technically, physically and mentally.' (Image: SNS Group) He continued: 'This group of young players, sitting under the transition coach, will train with first team on a daily basis. We need to have belief they can take that step up because they will get exposed to first team football more quickly. 'However, we also need to trust that we are still going to be competitive because ultimately, we must win games of football. We are committed to keeping the pathway open so that when those opportunities do arise the space is there for our young players. 'We must take a much more aggressive approach to strategic recruitment of younger players, both from Scotland and abroad, to complement the very best players progressing from our own academy. 'This is something Aberdeen has deployed with great success in different periods of our history and has brought forward players like Willie Miller, Alex McLeish, Arthur Graham and current board director Willie Garner. 'The club has committed additional budget both operationally in youth talent identification and in potential transfer and compensation fees to maximise our outcomes in the development of young players.' Read more: Meanwhile, Aberdeen made their fifth signing of the summer last night when they signed Icelandic youth internationalist Kjartan Mar Kjartansson from Stjarnan subject to international clearance and visa formalities. The 18-year-old has signed a four year deal. Thelin said, 'Kjartan is a player who our scouting department have been aware of and tracking for some time. We are pleased to have signed him given the significant interest from some big clubs. For a player still so young, he has played an impressive volume of minutes for the first team and the Icelandic youth international squads. 'He has a very good defensive and positional mind for the game. He has performed well for Stjarnan when winning possession back for his team, makes key interceptions and protects the team in transition – all the qualities we look for at the base of our midfield. It' s impressive when you consider his age. 'He is a very exciting talent, but we also know we need to work with him to develop further, and he will take time to adapt to a new club, a new league and a new country. We must be patient, we must nurture him and at times we must protect him to ensure we are able to realise his significant potential.'
BBC News
03-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Dons eye loans instead of under-19s to speed youth into first team
Aberdeen have changed the focus of their academy system to give young players earlier first-team experience by using Scottish football's new loan system while being "more aggressive" in attracting talent from other parts of the country and Scottish Premiership club has decided it will not participate in the new Club Academy Scotland (CAS) Under-19s programme and will instead train players at that level with the first-team under a new "transition coach".Meanwhile, Aberdeen will make use of the "more flexible" new co-operation agreements with lower-level clubs where young players can be sent out on loan but recalled at any time outside of normal transfer say it is a result of some "difficult conversations" in an "extensive review" over how "to make best use of our £2.2m annual investment in youth development". They say the transition of players from youth football to the first-team "has been getting progressively more difficult over the last decade" for all clubs and concluded "we have not adequately resourced" this Aberdeen were disappointed with the level of compensation for midfielder Connor Barron's switch to Rangers last summer and the effects of Brexit on the UK transfer of football Steven Gunn told the club website said they needed a different approach "focusing on quality and not quantity"."As a result, our young players won't be taking part in the newly adopted CAS U19s programme, but we will compete in the new CAS U17s format where the team will be predominantly made up of our schoolboys playing up an age group," he "expose our best young players to senior, competitive football at a much younger age", this group, "sitting under the transition coach", who will be appointed in the coming weeks, "will train with first team on a daily basis".Gunn said Aberdeen "has committed additional budget" and would "take a much more aggressive approach to strategic recruitment of younger players, both from Scotland and abroad, to complement the very best players progressing from our own academy".
BBC News
02-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Aberdeen 'finding it increasingly difficult' to keep youngsters
Aberdeen say they are "finding it increasingly difficult" to hold on to young talent after confirming teenage defender Timothy Akindileni has left to join Queens Park Rangers for an undisclosed Pittodrie side say they made "prolonged attempts to persuade" the 17-year-old to stay, but the youngster has opted to join QPR's development centre-back impressed in the Dons youth set-up but never played a first-team game for the club."We are, of course, disappointed to be losing Timi as we had high hopes for him," said Aberdeen director of football Steven Gunn."We made numerous attempts to convince him to stay with Aberdeen, but similar to the issues faced by so many Scottish clubs in recent years, we are finding it increasingly difficult to hold on to our young players."Gunn adds that Aberdeen have "negotiated a significant deal" that will provide "future protection" if Akindileni develops "into the player we hoped he could be".
