City’s Category 3 Academy has been named the best in the north of England - and in the country’s top 10!
This comes following the release of the annual ‘Academy Productivity Rankings’, by the Training Ground Guru.
Youngsters Reece Staunton, Eliot Goldthorp, Jake Maltby and Raeece Ellington are amongst the players to have this season made the step up to first-team football under David Hopkin.
Academy manager Alan Nevison explained: “The aim of the academy has always been to identify, develop and retain local talent for today, as well as in the years to come.
“We are half way through a six-year plan, aiming to setup local development centres throughout the constituencies of Bradford.
“It is great for us to be in the top 10, but we are still working towards our aims and hope to achieve more success in the near future.”
Youth Team manager Mark Trueman, pictured above, added: “There is a lot of potential coming through the ranks at the club.
“In the 10 years I have been involved, this is the strongest crop of players we have ever had.
“This is especially encouraging, considering players like Oli McBurnie and Andre Wisdom have previously come through the system here.
“Three of our players are involved in international squads and are proving their qualities every day in training.
“The standard of all the players has improved considerably and you can see it in how we have performed in the EFL Youth Alliance League.
“Players like Reece and Eliot have shown the right mentality and extra sessions on the field and in the gym tell us what these players are all about. There are always opportunities for players who deserve it.”
“Everybody at the academy, from the coaches down to the players, can be proud of our achievements so far.
“Now we need to keep working to further our progression.”