There were the sales of players such as Caelan-Kole Cadamarteri, Yisa Alao and Romario Collins, and the compensation that has come in for youngsters like Sutura Kakay. And that’s before we mention the fact that there were points last season where the Owls wouldn’t have had a team to put out had it not been for their academy graduates.
Were they all ready for senior football? Definitely not. Were they thrust into a difficult position? Absolutely. Did they perform admirably when fast-tracked to a level that – in normal circumstances – they wouldn’t have been near? I’d say so.
Henrik Pedersen has done an excellent job nurturing those that came up through the ranks. We’ve seen progress in so many of the young players, and those that remain around the first team are there on merit now rather than necessity.
But despite the positives, and the deserved plaudits for those in the academy, it all comes at a cost that could mean some difficult results for the U21s and U18s in particular over the course of the 2026/27 season.
Cadamarteri, Alao and Collins were sold to Manchester City and Chelsea, sales that effectively paid people’s wages at the club. But with the latter gone and Will Grainger now with the first team, one of the deadliest duos from the U18s is no longer available at youth level.
There’s also the element of continuous development. Having played in the Championship now, it’ll be hard for some of Wednesday’s younger players to drop back into being U21 footballers. Mentally they’ll be past that point, which is why it’s been important to send several of them out on loan to play senior football elsewhere. Logan Stretch, Devlan Moses, Joe Emery and Reece Johnson would all be starting for Mark Burton’s side otherwise.
Two years might not mean much in your mid-20s, but as a teenager it can result in big mismatches in terms of physicality and know-how.
The same goes for Ernie Weaver and Jarvis Thornton had they not established themselves as part of the first team over the last 12 months.
Departures meant a raft of new arrivals over the summer, and they need to click as well. But with several U21s needed by the seniors, we’re seeing U18s being pushed up a level and U16s being asked to step up as well. So first-year scholars are turning out for the U18s, and playing against footballers two years older than them. Two years might not mean much in your mid-20s, but as a teenager it can result in big mismatches in terms of physicality and know-how.
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With many departures from the youth setup this summer as scholarships come to an end and contracts expire, there’s an opportunity for the next wave of young Owls to try and make their mark.
Wednesday have some highly rated players in their academy still, and the likes of Oliver Bramhall, Jamie Darley, Logan Scott and Charlie Liddell have been part of the U21s despite only signing their first scholarship deals over the summer.
Ultimately the current situation could be fantastic for their respective development going forward, and could lead to a number of them being moulded into Owls of the future, but there is a sense of short-term pain for long-term gain.
SWFC’s academy has played a huge role in keeping the club ticking in spite of Dejphon Chansiri’s disregard… Now, with Arise taking a keen interest in creating more future first-teamers, imagine what could be achieved.
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