Blackburn Rovers F.C. Under-23s and Academy

Blackburn Rovers F.C. Academy and Under-23s are the youth teams of Blackburn Rovers. The Blackburn Rovers Academy holds Category One status.

Under-23s team

Blackburn Rovers Under-23s play in the Premier League 2.

Damien Johnson currently oversees the Under-23 side with David Dunn, as Lead and Assistant Coach respectively. Their predecessor, Eric Kinder left the role to take over as the club's Head of Academy. Kinder was appointed Gary Bowyer's replacement following his appointment as first team manager following two successful caretaker spells. The Under 23s play their home games at Leigh Sports Village.^[2]

The Academy

Blackburn Rovers Academy is overseen by Eric Kinder, and holds Category One status, the highest possible. The Academy trains at Brockhall training village, the same location as the first team and the Under 23s. It also provides a stepping stone for youngsters to progress to the highest levels of football at Blackburn Rovers producing high quality players in the past. Former players such as Damien Duff, Phil Jones, Damien Johnson, James Beattie, Neil Danns, Jonathan Walters, and Anthony Pilkington were all nurtured in The Academy. Current professional football players also include Jason Lowe, Martin Olsson, David Dunn, Grant Hanley, Josh Morris, Adam Henley, John O'Sullivan and Jack O'Connell.

History & Facilities

In January 1991, British industrialist and businessman Jack Walker a lifelong fan of Blackburn Rovers completed the takeover of the club. In the following years, the Brockhall Village Academy, was constructed at a cost of approximately £4.75 million. The centre included state of the art facilities on par with top training facilities elsewhere in Europe. It includes 6 full-size pitches, indoor training facilities, an indoor running track, outdoor running "hill", a swimming pool, goalkeeper training facilities as well as accommodation for the youth players.

Blackburn Rovers India Academy

On 19 November 2010, Pune based chicken meat processing, and pharmaceutical company, Venkateshwara Hatcheries Private Limited., completed the takeover of Blackburn Rovers, under the name Venky's London Limited.^[3][4]

One of the companies early ambitions was to open an Academy back in their home nation of India. Managing director, told The Indian Express newspaper the club was planning a centre of excellence near Pune which is 100 km (60 miles) from Mumbai.

"We are getting an academy and a stadium in Pune," Venky's B. Balaji Rao was quoted as saying. "The site is near the Mumbai-Pune highway and will be ready in a year-and-a-half or two years." Rao said the academy, on the outskirts of the city, will be run exactly like a Rovers' training centre at Brockhall in northwest England, taking players from the age of 11 and 12. As of 2016 however no academy or stadium has been constructed.^[4]

Squads

Under 23s

As of July 13, 2016.^[5]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 37 GK Andy Fisher 41 DF Josh Askew 36 DF Jack Doyle 24 DF Ryan Nyambe 45 DF Matthew Platt 42 DF Lewis Travis 34 DF Scott Wharton

No. Position Player 46 MF Lewis Hardcastle 28 MF Connor Mahoney 27 MF Willem Tomlinson 40 MF Connor Thomson 43 FW Ramirez Howarth 47 FW Lewis Mansell 44 FW Dean Rittenberg

Academy (Under-18s)

As of July 13, 2016.^[6]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player — GK Ben Ascroft — GK Matthew Campbell — DF Ben Blackburn — DF Hayden Carter — DF Charley Doyle — DF Andy Jackson — DF Frank Jones 50 DF Tyler Magloire — DF Matty Makinson — DF Lewis Trompson — DF Ben Williams — MF John Buckley

No. Position Player — MF Alex Curran — MF Jack Evans 48 MF Joe Grayson — MF Stefan Mols 49 MF Joe Rankin-Costello — MF Callum Wright — FW Daniel Butterworth — FW Callum Hendry — FW Brad Lynch — FW Tre Pemberton — FW Te-Jay Robinson — FW Joel Steer

Noted graduates

Blackburn Rovers' youth system has been successful over the years, many players who have come through it have gone on to feature in the first-team and make an impact or progress in the 1st teams of other clubs in the future.

Current/Former Rovers first teamers

Other Players To Have Made Impact Elsewhere

References

External links

• Blackburn Rovers FC Official Website