No. 36 / OCTOBER 2018 INCLUDES EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH // JAMIE SHACKLETON // MITCH AUSTIN // MILES WELCH-HAYES + MORE A SELECTION OF THE BIGGEST TRANSFER DEALS OVER THE SUMMER PLUS DEBUTANTS • ERASMUS+ TRIPS • ENGLAND'S WORLDTouchline CUP OctoberHEROES 2018 1 Welcome to Forty-eight Apprentices were nominated for LFE's 'The brought to you by League Football Education 11' last season having been No. 36 / OCTOBER 2018 WRITTEN BY JACK WYLIE | DESIGN BY ICG recognised for their outstanding The 11 efforts on and off the pitch. 2017-18 SEASON October December GOAL 2017 2017 OF THE SEASON Almost 15,000 votes were cast across the eight LFE Goal of the LFE Apprentice of the Year Awards Month competitions during the Sky Bet Championship Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham) 2017-18 season. Each GOTM winner qualified for the Goal Sky Bet League One Anthony Hartigan (AFC Wimbledon) of the Season poll, with over Sky Bet League Two Ben Wilmot (Stevenage – now Watford) 6,800 votes being recorded. Niall Watson (Accrington Stanley) // Max Bird Finlay Sinclair-Smith (Blackpool) // Callum Styles (Derby County) // Jordan Stevens (Forest Green (Bury) // George Lloyd (Cheltenham Town) Rovers) // Steven Sessegnon (Fulham) // Connor // Joe Lynch (Crewe Alexandra) // Danny Amos APRIL: JON SMITH Simpson (Hartlepool United) // Jamie Shackleton (Doncaster Rovers) // Jack Tucker (Gillingham) (Leeds United) // Jack James (Luton Town) // Jesse Debrah (Millwall) // Tommy Hope (LINCOLN CITY – 46%) Academy Leagues // Lewis Freestone (Peterborough United) (MK Dons) // Matthew Longstaff (Newcastle // Lewis Fensome (Preston North End) // Ben Wilmot United) // Sam Cartwright (Peterborough United) SEPTEMBER: CAOLAN BOYD-MUNCE (Stevenage) (Walsall) (Rotherham United) (BIRMINGHAM CITY – 37%) Winners 2017-18 // Mitch Candlin // Reece McGinley AUGUST: MATT MAYES (PORTSMOUTH – 5%) North West Division North East Division OCTOBER/NOVEMBER: Rochdale Mansfield Town February May ELLIS CHAPMAN South West Division South East Division 2018 2018 (LINCOLN CITY – 4%) Exeter City Milton Keynes Dons DECEMBER: JORDAN DOHERTY Southern Merit League One Southern Merit League Two (SHEFFIELD UNITED – 4%) Gillingham Leyton Orient JANUARY: ALEX HUNT U18 Professional U18 Professional (SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY – 2%) Development League North Development League South FEBRUARY/MARCH: DYLAN SUMNER Leeds United Crystal Palace (BLACKPOOL – 1%) U18 Professional Development League National Play-Offs MAY: REGAN HUTCHINSON Charlton Athletic (ROTHERHAM UNITED – 1%) U18 Premier League North U18 Premier League South Manchester United Chelsea View all the contenders at U18 Premier League National Play-Offs Roy Syla (Barnet) // Matthew Wolfe (Barnsley) // Jack Evans (Blackburn Rovers) // Alex Render youtube.com/LFEOnlineTV Chelsea Sam Squire (Cambridge United) // Ryan Schofield (Chesterfield) // Elliot Bonds (Dagenham and (Huddersfield Town) // Toby Stevenson (Leyton Redbridge) // Cameron Cresswell (Derby County) Orient) // Harry Bircumshaw (Mansfield Town) // James Morris (Doncaster Rovers) // James // Momodou Touray (Newport County) Gillard (Northampton Town) // Atli Barkarson // Alfie Payne (Norwich City) // Tom Hamer (Norwich City) // Adam O’Reilly (Preston North (Oldham Athletic) // David Parkhouse (Sheffield End) // Adam Kelsey (Scunthorpe United) LFE is supported by: United) // Alex Hunt (Sheffield Wednesday) // Joe Romanski (Swindon Town) // Ryan Giles (Wolverhampton Wanderers) 2 October 2018 Touchline Touchline October 2018 3 U18 Professional Development U18 Premier League North Academy Leagues League North Derby County have enjoyed a terrific start to top the Round-Up Sheffield Wednesday have been a dominant force in list of EFL clubs in the Northern section, sitting in fourth the opening two months of the new campaign, racking place on 11 points from six games. up 17 points from seven matches to maintain the only remaining unbeaten record in the Professional The young Rams possess one of the league’s Development League. joint-top goalscorers in their ranks, with first-year North East Division South East Division apprentice Jack Stretton bagging nine goals already, The Owls have already registered five clean sheets to including four in an 8-0 win against Newcastle United, Two teams are yet to be beaten in the Mansfield Town have been the team to boast the best defensive record in the North, as well as while they also claimed impressive draws against South East division, with Northampton beat in the North East division for three being the leading scorers thanks to goals from Charles Manchester United (3-3) and Manchester City (2-2), Town leading the way on 17 points seasons running, but are currently Hagan and Iyad Hamud (five each), plus four from with their only defeat coming against unbeaten from seven matches, two points clear of being denied of their usual top spot by Jordan O’Brien, who notched a hat-trick at the start of leaders Everton. Doncaster Rovers on goal difference. Stevenage. September as they overcame Crystal Palace 5-0. Meanwhile, Blackburn Rovers are rooted to the Paul Stancliffe’s team are yet to taste The Cobblers dismantled Southern Merit Closest challengers Nottingham Forest are two points bottom, but recorded their only points of the season defeat so far from their opening five League Two holders Leyton Orient 5-1 adrift, but fell to a 1-0 loss to the pacesetters, while last against fifth-placed Man City as 16-year-old Isaac games and consolidated their place at to hit the front in September, but their year’s Northern champions Leeds United are currently Whitehall netted the winner in a 2-1 triumph. the summit of the table with a 4-0 win run of four straight victories was brought in fourth with a game in hand. to a halt by a 2-2 stalemate with nearest against Scunthorpe United thanks to a U18 Premier League South double from Rieves Boocock. contenders Stevenage. U18 Professional Development Jorden Gibson’s team also managed League South A streak of four wins on the trot has lifted Aston Villa Mansfield slipped up against the same to collect four consecutive wins, but into fourth position in the South, with their only two opponents in August, but have won There is an unfamiliar look to the top of the Southern have now drawn two on the bounce to defeats coming narrowly against second and third- each of their last two outings to set up section as Ipswich Town lead the pack by three points lose ground on the leaders, while last placed sides Arsenal (2-4) and Chelsea (1-2). a top of the table clash between them ahead of Cardiff City, having played a game more. season’s Merit League One champions and Rovers at the end of September. The highlight of their promising run of form was an Gillingham have dropped to fourth after The Tractor Boys youngsters have found the net 11 emphatic 7-1 victory over Norwich City, which involved Grimsby are the only other club to one win in five league games. times in their last two fixtures, breezing past fourth- seven different scorers. match Donny’s unbeaten record, At the other end of the table, 2017-18 placed Bristol City 5-0 and seeing off National Play-Off although they have only played three winners Milton Keynes Dons have holders Charlton Athletic 6-3, with first-year apprentice In contrast, David Wright’s Canaries are yet to get off games and currently stand in seventh produced a solitary win to their tally so Zak Brown gaining a treble. the mark, while Fulham’s five points from a possible 18 after two wins and a draw. leaves them languishing in ninth. far, which came against winless Orient. The Addicks have suffered a tough start after also North West Division being hit for four by Northern leaders Wednesday, South West Division although 2-1 victories over Bolton Wanderers and Wigan Athletic’s Under-18s have ran riot It has been a flying start for Oxford Leeds offered some respite. so far this season, smashing 25 goals in United, claiming 16 points from their just six games to claim a perfect 100 per opening six outings to lead Yeovil Town cent record and stretch out a six-point on goal difference having also played a lead in first position. game less. Last year’s runners-up have been led Following an opening day draw with by England Under-17 international Joe AFC Bournemouth, the U’s have sealed Gelhardt (six) and Charlie Jolley (five), five wins on the trot, with first-year striker with both in fine scoring form. The Slavi Spasov grabbing a brace in each of latter netted on three occasions in a 6-1 his last two matches. win against Wrexham in August, while Yeovil appeared to be keeping pace Gelhardt repeated that feat during a 6-2 with Leon Blackmore-Such’s side, but victory over Accrington Stanley a month were then thrashed 5-2 by Forest Green later. Rovers, with Lewis Spurrier capping Elsewhere, Preston North End bounced off the performance with a fantastic back from an opening day 4-2 loss individual run and finish. to the Latics with four victories in Meanwhile, reigning South West succession and have a game in hand, victors Exeter City lost three games in while Port Vale are also in contention six succession to fall into mid-table having points behind the leaders. previously produced a fine display to Defending champions Rochdale recover from a two-goal deficit and endured a stuttering start with one overcome third-placed Bournemouth point from their opening two matches, 3-2 at the end of August. but have since got their season up and running by defeating Fleetwood Town (3-2) and Carlisle United (2-0). * Information correct as of 24 September 4 October 2018 Touchline Touchline October 2018 5 Leeds United’s Jamie Shackleton Marcelo Bielsa’s side have taken the Sky Bet “You see senior footballers doing that sort of Championship by storm, with Shackleton thing all the time, so if you’re aspiring to be like has enjoyed a remarkable rise to adopting an unfamiliar role at right-back in them on the pitch, there’s no reason not to do prominence so far this season, August before being sidelined with a minor the same off it as well.” establishing himself as a regular ankle knock.