Express & Star

Darrell Clarke pleased with Walsall youngsters' progression

Darrell Clarke has been pleased with the progression of the academy players as he bids to make Walsall a place for young talents to flourish.

Published
Last updated

Sam Perry, Tom Leak and Joe Willis are all players who have been on the lookout for minutes over the last two seasons, while winger Jayden Campbell has been finding the back of the net for the Under-18’s.

The first team already has a handful of academy products in it, including Liam Roberts, Alfie Bates and Liam Kinsella, and Clarke is eager to bring through more talent.

“We’ve been pleased,” Clarke said.

“I wouldn’t imagine there’s many teams with four that have come through the system in the starting XI in a League Two team of a category three football club

“You might see more category one or two clubs with more through the system.

“The young lads know they’ve got a future to be able to get into the first team.

“We want our young players to get into the team and financially it helps as well. Youngsters coming through to your first team are a lot less expensive than players you have to get from elsewhere.

“We want to be known as a club that does produce its own talent.

“They have to learn quickly, we can’t keep waiting on players to improve, but in general I’ve been pleased with the youngster’s performances when they’ve been used.”

Perry impressed in his one senior appearances last year but is yet to feature this campaign – but Clarke is aiming to give him minutes in League Two.

“Bates has done well and they’re a similar player and age,” Clarke added.

“Alfie is a little bit ahead of Sam but that doesn’t mean it will always be the case. I certainly visualise Sam playing some games between now and the end of the season, for the way he’s training and gone about it.

“We had to work a lot more on his fitness levels, we thought there were a lot of areas to improve, but he is a first year pro. We have to get the balance right. This is League Two and no disrespect, we can’t have too many 19-year-olds in at once if we want to be successful and get ourselves in that top 7.”

Centre-back Leak recently returned from a short loan spell at Bath City and has made the Walsall bench once this season – as Clarke insists he is not ready.

“Tom Leak is a good lad with a great attitude, but he is a right-sided centre-half,” Clarke said.

“You have Dan Scarr and James Clarke covering those. Leaky is a first year pro and I think centre-halves mature with age.

“Tom is not ready, in my opinion, to replace Clarke, Scarr, Zak Jules or Mat Sadler, as things stand.”