With the continuation of EFL Youth Development Week, today our focus lies with our Under-18s.
The fledgling Lads have enjoyed a flying start to the campaign, topping the Northern section of the U18 Premier League after claiming 16 points from seven games, scoring a remarkable 23 league goals.
Last month saw Adam Asghar take over as Sunderland AFC’s Lead U18 Coach, and we sit down with the 28-year-old to discuss the progress of the club’s scholars, the plan of how best to nurture our young talent, and his own coaching background.
“I’ve been delighted with this season so far and the progress of the players,” Asghar says.
“The mentality of the lads has been fantastic – for the last few weeks, we’ve really focused on how we’re going to win and how we play, and the boys are really invested in that.
“We’ve managed to get a few good results with as well as a couple of frustrating results – frustrating because they’ve been games where we’ve performed well and been up against sides who made it difficult by playing direct. What I try to get through to the boys is we’re trying to shape them to play for Sunderland, play in the English Premier League and play in the Champions League and beyond. That has to be the ambition.”
Originating from Glasgow, Asghar initially played as a teenager with Motherwell – later earning his first coaching role at Fir Park seven years ago.
He talks through his career so far which has now led him to a new chapter south of the border.
“I started at Motherwell as a youth player, and then went back to the club and started coaching there when I was 21. From there, I joined the Scottish FA’s Performance School Programme.
“We were developing some of Scotland’s best players on the programme – they had football as part of their school curriculum – and then I went into a full-time role at Dundee United as Head of Professional Performance, overseeing the Under-18s and Reserves programme.
“I was then a first-team coach for a year, with the aim of progressing young players into the first-team squad. We managed to get 16 academy graduates into the team, so it was a very enjoyable and rewarding role.”
Describing the opportunity to join Sunderland as ‘too good to turn down’, Asghar explains how the club’s values run parallel to his ambitions as a developer of young footballers, as well as the previous success he has enjoyed.
“The opportunity to come here was too good to turn down. The project here is exciting, and the size of the club is a natural pull for any member of staff or any player.
“Having spoken to Kristjaan Speakman and Stuart English, it was clear that they want the forefront of this project to be developing players towards success for the first team.
“That’s huge for any Academy coach – it shows the rewards of what you’re doing when there’s always that chance of a pathway for the players to represent the Sunderland first team. The ethos and values of our Academy demonstrate that young players will get opportunities, and that motivated me as a huge reason why I wanted to be here.”
Asghar is under no illusions – and in fact demonstrates a wealth of expertise – regarding how to carefully navigate the progress of players at scholarship level.
The first taste of full-time football, combined with education after completing school, is a huge learning curve for any teenage individual. Not to mention this step representing the final part of the journey before aiming for a professional contract – some players more fortunate than others.
“The biggest thing for me is communication. The transition for the boys is huge, managing the education programme, different aspects of sports science and analysis, so we’re making sure all of us as coaches support them and have their backs,” the Scotsman says.
“We’re looking to tailor them as individuals, as both players and young men. It’s naturally a big satisfaction for us to see them develop their personalities as they go. Some develop at different rates to each other – we have to see what makes these lads progress and what inspires them, and adjust our approach accordingly.
“A real strength I’ve found among the staff since I arrived is that we prepare the players for all scenarios – the pitfalls of not just football, but life itself. We want to give them all the tools we possibly can to progress as far as they can in football, but if not, we want to help them succeed in a different route, either in football or in life.”
Lastly, Asghar runs through the setup of the support for the U18s and reveals the strategic plan which is followed by coaches and players alike.
“In terms of the curriculum for the boys, and in terms of technical and tactical aspects, we plan nine-week blocks.
“We assess different themes that are important to the ethos and values of Sunderland as a football club: developing possession; how we defend; how we attack and defend in transition, and the most important thing at this level is the lads’ individual progress.
“We have Alex Ackerley who deals with the individual requirements and development, and then we have myself and Carlton Fairweather who handle the collective side. Each player has a different KPI and target each week for what we’re working on, and that’s what we’re constantly striving for, to suit each player’s needs as they develop.”