Cobblers youth teamer recognised
The on and off pitch achievements of eleven young footballers, including Northampton Town's James Hammond, has been recognised by League Football Education (LFE) in ‘The 11’ competition. ‘The 11’ acknowledges the football and academic progress of Under-18 players on apprenticeships at current or former Football League clubs is also designed to assess other factors such as involvement in community or charity based initiatives.
Judged by LFE’s team of regional officers, this award is given on four occasions in the season 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. Leeds United midfielder Lewis Cook, Crewe’s George Cooper and Portsmouth’s Conor Chaplin were all named in ‘The 11’ ahead of tasting success at last season’s Football League Awards, where they received divisional Apprentice of the Year titles.
The 11:
• Alfie Egan (AFC Wimbledon)
• Ronan Hale (Birmingham)
• Ethan Wassall (Derby County)
• Finn O’Mara (Gillingham)
• Liam Harris (Lincoln City)
• James Justin (Luton Town)
• Mitchell Curry Middlesbrough)
• James Hammond (Northampton Town)
• Adam May (Portsmouth)
• George Hirst (Sheffield Wednesday)
• Jake Phillips (Wrexham)
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 the apprenticeship.”
For in depth profiles on all of the players named in ‘The 11’ please visit the LFE website.