First Team
Match Report | Rangers 1-1 Dundee United
23rd November 2024
Dundee United has made its greatest investment in youth since the 80s by offering professional contracts to no less than ten players from its highly rated Under 17 squad. All of the players will be signing up and joining the full time Under 19 squad for next season.
Over the years Dundee United has been renowned for its youth policy. Indeed, that was the foundation for its tremendous success of the late seventies and eighties.
The eighties' signings included the six players who were in the Scotland Under 16 squad, which reached the final of the FIFA World Cup in 1989. Gary Bollan and Andy McLaren were amongst them and players like Duncan Ferguson and Christian Dailly subsequently augmented that.
During the 90s, youth development perhaps suffered as a consequence of changes in the game but in recent years a considerable effort has gone into this area and the Club is now hopeful that the fruits of this effort will begin to be seen in the coming years.
Next season's Under-19 squad will now include Ryan McCord, Fraser Milligan and Sean Fleming from the Club's Dundee centre, Scott Paterson, Neil McMechan, Philip McGrath and Keith Watson from the centre which covers West Lothian & Edinburgh and Chris Jeffrey, Gordon Pope and Scott Mathieson from the Glasgow centre.
Both current Youth Team goalkeeper John Gibson and first team squad striker David Goodwillie are the same age as the new recruits, so it can be claimed that this age group is potentially the most productive one the club has ever had.
Picture Caption:
Back Row (L to R): Scott Mathieson, Keith Watson, Manager, Gordon Pope, Philip McGrath
Front Row: Scott Paterson, Sean Fleming, Fraser Milligan, Chris Jeffrey, Ryan McCord, Neil McMechan
Over the years Dundee United has been renowned for its youth policy. Indeed, that was the foundation for its tremendous success of the late seventies and eighties.
The eighties' signings included the six players who were in the Scotland Under 16 squad, which reached the final of the FIFA World Cup in 1989. Gary Bollan and Andy McLaren were amongst them and players like Duncan Ferguson and Christian Dailly subsequently augmented that.
During the 90s, youth development perhaps suffered as a consequence of changes in the game but in recent years a considerable effort has gone into this area and the Club is now hopeful that the fruits of this effort will begin to be seen in the coming years.
Next season's Under-19 squad will now include Ryan McCord, Fraser Milligan and Sean Fleming from the Club's Dundee centre, Scott Paterson, Neil McMechan, Philip McGrath and Keith Watson from the centre which covers West Lothian & Edinburgh and Chris Jeffrey, Gordon Pope and Scott Mathieson from the Glasgow centre.
Both current Youth Team goalkeeper John Gibson and first team squad striker David Goodwillie are the same age as the new recruits, so it can be claimed that this age group is potentially the most productive one the club has ever had.
Picture Caption:
Back Row (L to R): Scott Mathieson, Keith Watson, Manager, Gordon Pope, Philip McGrath
Front Row: Scott Paterson, Sean Fleming, Fraser Milligan, Chris Jeffrey, Ryan McCord, Neil McMechan
