Interesting for those selecting juniors, Gabby Agbonlahor.

[paul merson]

There are schoolboys blessed with such talent that it is a matter of when, not if, they will become Premier League stars. And then there is someone like Gabriel Agbonlahor.

"The one thing that attracted us to him was his pace," said Bryan Jones, Aston ­Villa's academy director. "He had absolutely nothing else. He ran in straight lines. His touch would probably take him to Newcastle. He couldn't really head a ball. But we saw the raw pace and thought, 'Let's go with it'."

It is probably the best decision Villa's academy staff have ever made. Eight years on from that brutally honest assessment, Agbonlahor's flowering from football's equivalent of Forrest Gump to the leading English goalscorer in the Premier League is complete. His performances have helped to lift Villa to third in the table and there is a widespread belief that he will be a key figure for Fabio Capello at the 2010 World Cup finals.

It is a remarkable turnaround and one that Jones reflects on with a mixture of relief and satisfaction when he ­remembers how close Villa came to rejecting the 14-year-old Great Barr Falcons striker who ran like the wind but had local wildlife ­diving for cover whenever he got close to the penalty area.

"Six or seven of the staff were sitting around the table and we were discussing players and whether they should be offered a schoolboy contract or not," said Jones. "Obviously Gabby's name came up ­eventually and, I have to say, the ­majority of the staff didn't think that there was much there that would make a player within the Premier League.

"I can always remember Steve Burns [Villa's assistant academy director] and myself saying, 'He's got this raw pace, let's just be patient, a two-year contract as a schoolboy is not going to cost you anything and let's see what happens.' The rest, really, is history."

So it is, although that makes Agbon­lahor's story sound straightforward. Anyone who has witnessed his development since he made his first-team debut under David O'Leary a little over three years ago knows that the reality is very ­different. While speed remains his main asset, Agbonlahor has worked assiduously to polish other aspects of his game, including his hold-up play, his first touch, his ­movement and his finishing.

With that in mind, Martin O'Neill claims that the player, rather than any of the Villa coaching staff, deserves praise for the results.

"I've known Gabby for two and a half years now and he's really been exceptional," said Villa's manager. "I still have the DVD of his first game, at the Emirates Stadium, when he played wide right. And if you see Gabby from that day to what he is now, I would say he should take the credit. He's done all the hard work."

From his first England cap, in Berlin last month, to the £180,000 white Lamborghini parked on his drive and a lucrative four-year contract signed at the start of the season, the personal rewards are there to see. Villa's benefits have also been considerable, with ­Agbonlahor's ­growing maturity meaning that John Carew's absence through injury has almost gone unnoticed in a run of three straight wins ahead of Arsenal's arrival on Boxing Day.

"The kid's full of confidence at the moment," said Steve Walford, Villa's first-team coach. "He's been playing regularly over the last three years and he can see his progress during that time and then he gets capped by England, so he believes he can be a player. There is much more to his game now. He gets hold of it and brings other players into the game. He works the channels really well and does his shift for the team. It's not just about pace."

Capello and his back-room team appear to have reached the same conclusion, even if statistics that recently revealed Agbonlahor as the quickest player in the Premier League cannot be ignored. That speed might have gone to waste at times when Agbonlahor was a youth player —"Gabby scored 42 and missed about 87 one season," joked Jones — but there is an assurance about his finishing now that means defences are generally punished if he scampers clear.

That was never more evident than ­during the recent home game against ­Bolton, when Agbonlahor scored twice and set up another goal as he tormented Gary Megson's side.

"We persevered with him and he's turned out to be what he is now," said Jones. "I don't know what it is but ­certainly in the last three or four months he seems to have come on another stage again. Who knows where he is going to end up?"

South Africa in 2010 would be a good bet.

[BillShankly]

great story.

I remember when he came down to adelaide, he was quality.

Exceptional player at the moment as well.

[Nova]

There are schoolboys blessed with such talent that it is a matter of when, not if, they will become Premier League stars. And then there is someone like Gabriel Agbonlahor.

"The one thing that attracted us to him was his pace," said Bryan Jones, Aston ­Villa's academy director. "He had absolutely nothing else. He ran in straight lines. His touch would probably take him to Newcastle. He couldn't really head a ball. But we saw the raw pace and thought, 'Let's go with it'."

It is probably the best decision Villa's academy staff have ever made. Eight years on from that brutally honest assessment, Agbonlahor's flowering from football's equivalent of Forrest Gump to the leading English goalscorer in the Premier League is complete. His performances have helped to lift Villa to third in the table and there is a widespread belief that he will be a key figure for Fabio Capello at the 2010 World Cup finals.

It is a remarkable turnaround and one that Jones reflects on with a mixture of relief and satisfaction when he ­remembers how close Villa came to rejecting the 14-year-old Great Barr Falcons striker who ran like the wind but had local wildlife ­diving for cover whenever he got close to the penalty area.

"Six or seven of the staff were sitting around the table and we were discussing players and whether they should be offered a schoolboy contract or not," said Jones. "Obviously Gabby's name came up ­eventually and, I have to say, the ­majority of the staff didn't think that there was much there that would make a player within the Premier League.

"I can always remember Steve Burns [Villa's assistant academy director] and myself saying, 'He's got this raw pace, let's just be patient, a two-year contract as a schoolboy is not going to cost you anything and let's see what happens.' The rest, really, is history."

So it is, although that makes Agbon­lahor's story sound straightforward. Anyone who has witnessed his development since he made his first-team debut under David O'Leary a little over three years ago knows that the reality is very ­different. While speed remains his main asset, Agbonlahor has worked assiduously to polish other aspects of his game, including his hold-up play, his first touch, his ­movement and his finishing.

With that in mind, Martin O'Neill claims that the player, rather than any of the Villa coaching staff, deserves praise for the results.
"I've known Gabby for two and a half years now and he's really been exceptional," said Villa's manager. "I still have the DVD of his first game, at the Emirates Stadium, when he played wide right. And if you see Gabby from that day to what he is now, I would say he should take the credit. He's done all the hard work."

From his first England cap, in Berlin last month, to the £180,000 white Lamborghini parked on his drive and a lucrative four-year contract signed at the start of the season, the personal rewards are there to see. Villa's benefits have also been considerable, with ­Agbonlahor's ­growing maturity meaning that John Carew's absence through injury has almost gone unnoticed in a run of three straight wins ahead of Arsenal's arrival on Boxing Day.

"The kid's full of confidence at the moment," said Steve Walford, Villa's first-team coach. "He's been playing regularly over the last three years and he can see his progress during that time and then he gets capped by England, so he believes he can be a player. There is much more to his game now. He gets hold of it and brings other players into the game. He works the channels really well and does his shift for the team. It's not just about pace."

Capello and his back-room team appear to have reached the same conclusion, even if statistics that recently revealed Agbonlahor as the quickest player in the Premier League cannot be ignored. That speed might have gone to waste at times when Agbonlahor was a youth player —"Gabby scored 42 and missed about 87 one season," joked Jones — but there is an assurance about his finishing now that means defences are generally punished if he scampers clear.

That was never more evident than ­during the recent home game against ­Bolton, when Agbonlahor scored twice and set up another goal as he tormented Gary Megson's side.

"We persevered with him and he's turned out to be what he is now," said Jones. "I don't know what it is but ­certainly in the last three or four months he seems to have come on another stage again. Who knows where he is going to end up?"

South Africa in 2010 would be a good bet.

Interesting what M O'Niell said
I've always thought that no matter what the coach or structure, the player with the right attitude and make up will "ALWAYS" succeed and develope
Good article!

[MegaBonus]

this article highlighted 2 things for me....

1 - regardless of a players attributes or lack of attributes, he still needs something that seperates him from all the other hopefulls, in this case his speed.

2 - clubs and countries (especially china and the communist eastern block) have for a while now, firstly pinpointed people with certain physical attributes and then trained/taught them the sport. SASI, still visits local high schools and performs physical tests and encourages individuals to take up certain disciplines eg rowing, weightlifting etc etc. didnt he crows take a rookie with a basketball background because they were impressed with his physical size and mobiliy???

[povman_2009]

this article highlighted 2 things for me....

1 - regardless of a players attributes or lack of attributes, he still needs something that seperates him from all the other hopefulls, in this case his speed.

2 - clubs and countries (especially china and the communist eastern block) have for a while now, firstly pinpointed people with certain physical attributes and then trained/taught them the sport. SASI, still visits local high schools and performs physical tests and encourages individuals to take up certain disciplines eg rowing, weightlifting etc etc. didnt he crows take a rookie with a basketball background because they were impressed with his physical size and mobiliy???

My E&D team just lost a player to the SASI Kayaking program following one of these testing sessions... good luck to him and them

[Nova]

this article highlighted 2 things for me....

1 - regardless of a players attributes or lack of attributes, he still needs something that seperates him from all the other hopefulls, in this case his speed.

2 - clubs and countries (especially china and the communist eastern block) have for a while now, firstly pinpointed people with certain physical attributes and then trained/taught them the sport. SASI, still visits local high schools and performs physical tests and encourages individuals to take up certain disciplines eg rowing, weightlifting etc etc. didnt he crows take a rookie with a basketball background because they were impressed with his physical size and mobiliy???

My E&D team just lost a player to the SASI Kayaking program following one of these testing sessions... good luck to him and them

I wonder if SASI have testing sessions for their Diving program

[ramosrules]

It was either the Pool or the Villa juniors during the Adelaide tournement. Someone i know was at one of thier trainings talking to thier coach and they said that first and foremost they go for pace and size over skill and footballing brain.

[theone]

English clubs going for pace and size
Brazil and Argentina go for skill and footballing brain

No wonder I am a long suffering England supporter !

[Black Hawk]

English clubs going for pace and size
Brazil and Argentina go for skill and footballing brain

No wonder I am a long suffering England supporter !

The Argentine and Brazilian boys are quick as well.