Premier League's Emerging Talent Festival held for the third year in Loughborough; "Youth development doesn't happen overnight," says PL director of football Neil Saunders. "It's important that we engage with children at these early ages but we know is a long-term project."
Wednesday 14 August 2024 09:12, UK
The Premier League's South Asian Action Plan is a "long-term" objective and clubs are helping to create a pathway for British South Asian youngsters, says director of football Neil Saunders.
The South Asian Action Plan (SAAP) was launched in the 2021/22 season and has grown in activity over the past three seasons. It is a long-term strategic initiative to address the underrepresentation of South Asian players across English football and is a key part of the League's No Room for Racism Action Plan, to enhance player and career pathways and help diversify those working within the professional game.
The annual Emerging Talent Festival this year attracted 220 boys and girls representing 11 Premier League and EFL clubs. It was held at Loughborough University after more than 1,000 youngsters had taken part in regional qualifiers at respective Academies.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, Saunders said the Premier League is fully committed to inclusion and diversity, adding the "South Asian community has got a massive role to play in that now and in the future".
"We launched our Elite Player Performance Plan in 2012 and you now see over a decade on the number of homegrown players that are coming through our club Academies and playing in the Premier League and on the international stage with the Euros being a great example for England in the summer," Saunders said.
"We know that initiatives like this and youth development is a long-term piece of work and we know that it's going to take a period of time to see some of the young players that are on show here to come through our Academies and hopefully break their way into the first team.
"We're working with children between the ages of eight and 12 here. We know that is when a number of our Academy graduates - those players that come through and play in the first teams - that's when they engage with their Academies so it's important that we engage with children at these early ages but it's something that we know is a long-term project. Youth development doesn't happen overnight.
"It's a long road to the Premier League but we do know that so many of our homegrown players enter the Academy system at an age not too dissimilar to these young participants here so it's great to see the talent on display."
Saunders, who played for Exeter City and Watford during his professional career, believes clubs are now working with talent from South Asian backgrounds to show a pathway.
He said: "The clubs are already engaging with the talent on display here so where there is talent, where there is that ability on show, the clubs are already interacting and hopefully able to get them into the pathway and support them on their development.
"It's inevitable that only a small number of Academy players will break through to the first team. We want to make sure that regardless of where the journey takes them in football, that events like today and the work clubs are doing in their communities, make sure that young people learn to love the game and it inspires them to continue on their football journey in whatever direction that takes them."
On the Emerging Talent Festival for South Asian youngsters, Alhena Moosa, a football coach for girls at FC Leytonstone, believes it is an "excellent, competitive and engaging" festival that lets the kids "see a future with Premier League clubs".
Zak Hajat, chair of grassroots club Leicester Nirvana, told Sky Sports News the day was a "great opportunity to give the kids experience. It's good for them to play against youngsters from different communities. The facilities are great."
What would he like to see change? Hajat says he would love to see more talent festivals throughout the season which would be "more beneficial".
"If you did something throughout the year that led to this you would see better quality and the standards would be a lot higher as well."
Saunders said: "The intention of these festivals is to address the under-representation of British South Asians in our Academy system and whilst this is just one small part and one small step in the initiative, it's something that hopefully provides a lot of joy to the young participants taking part today and sets a course of direction and demonstrates our commitment.
"We want to make sure that we're speaking and engaging directly with the young participants in the immediate term."
As part of its ongoing commitment to diversity in football, in 2019 the Premier League launched the Next Gen tournament.
This youth competition saw Academy players from English clubs, including from Arsenal and Leicester, visit India to play Indian Super League teams.
Saunders said: "For the fifth edition this year, we're hosting teams from the Indian Super League as well as Stellenbosch from the South African Premier League, providing young players from India with the opportunity to benchmark and compete against some of the best young talents in the Premier League.
"We're seeing young players not only from India but from the Premier League experience this tournament and go and make their debut in the Premier League. George Earthy of West Ham United was with us out in Mumbai in May 2023 and fast forward 12 months he's playing and scoring for West Ham United in the Premier League.
"For the Indian players it's a great opportunity to see how they compare against future Premier League players.
"The Next Gen tournament is part of our long-standing relationship with the Indian Super League and it's part of our commitment to help grow the game of football in India by supporting player, coach and referee development."
This year's tournament was won by Stellenbosch who beat Tottenham's youngsters 2-0 in the final.
Saunders was speaking to Sky Sports News from the Premier League's Emerging Talent Festival. You can also hear from him and all the key football stakeholders in the documentary Football Hidden's Talent which is available on YouTube.
