My plan to overhaul academy system and help young players

One of my favourite moments of the season came last week, watching Arsenal's Max Dowman break forward from his own penalty area to score a goal that sealed his side's Premier League win over Everton.

Young homegrown talents are always appreciated by their team's supporters and from what I've seen so far of the 16-year-old, Arsenal fans are going to enjoy more special moments from him in the years to come.

But while Max Dowman has emerged from the academy system and achieved his dream of a career in the professional game, thousands of other boys and girls don't make it through the different stages, and have to deal with a crushing rejection at a young age.

It is these players who drop out of academy football that I am concerned about, because I don't think the current system does enough to inform them about their chances, or look after them when they are discarded.

It needs an overhaul and when I retired from management in 2020, I compiled my own report into the academy system, including proposals for how it could be improved, then spent almost a year filming a documentary series for Sky Sports about it, called 'Chasing the Dream'.

It investigated the pathway into the men's game, where our research showed that 91% of young players at academies never play a professional game.

While I was working on the series, I travelled the country talking to people at all levels of the football pyramid about their experiences within the academy system - good and bad.

During many moments where I saw success and failure, I encountered the tragic situation of a young lad, Jeremy Wisten, who had been released by Manchester City and taken his own life in 2020 at the age of 18.

He was not alone in being unable to deal with what can be an unbearable situation, and his mum was so open and honest when she was talking about his journey on the programme.

We also met lads who had become trapped in dealing drugs or had major mental care issues, which occurred because of the rejection they experienced when they dropped out of football - and also the emptiness of not waking up to any other job opportunities.

The facilities I saw when I visited different academies were incredible, but I still don't feel like the balance with education is right. It feels to me like we have a responsibility to not only produce elite players, but also produce good people too, including the ones who don't make it.

That means looking after them better than we are at present, especially when they are told they are not good enough, which happens with the vast majority of these kids.

My perspective on academies is not just as a former manager. My grandchildren are in the academy system so I've got a personal interest too.

For all young aspiring footballers, the dream of becoming a professional player is a special one. In England, the academy system has been put in place to give them the best chance to fulfil that dream, and in 2011, the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) was introduced.

Right now, more than 12,000 boys are in the system, at clubs from the Premier League down. It's an all-encompassing set-up, with coaching at least three evenings a week and a games programme that takes up most of their weekends.

The same programme is now being used by the fastest-growing sport in England, girls football, too.

These academies are staffed at extraordinary levels and provide work for coaches, physios, doctors and many more administrative staff.

The facilities are of the highest level, with top-class indoor and outdoor pitches, and are as good if not better than any other country in the world. Education is provided too, with lecturers employed to run BTEC programmes which are compulsory for all the youngsters.

The investment is enormous but, as we have witnessed over the past few years, the clubs at the top end of the market are reaping major returns on that outlay through loans and sales of the young players these academies produce.

The EPPP has been in place for almost 15 years now, so how has it stood up to the test of time?

Academies now operate a pre-academy programme for children from the age of six, so if any of them complete the full programme they would finish it at 21. That's longer than a child spends getting an education in school, and lasts his entire childhood life.

These kids are provided with club tracksuits and jackets, all badged up, and are recognised by friends and family as being part of that club.

Their identity has, effectively, been stamped on them at a young age and they also have to make a full commitment to the academy programme.

That means coaching on three nights a week, and a games programme lasting most of the weekend, are now part of a youngster's aim to chase his dream.

From my experiences filming the documentary, in many cases what happens at school is seen as being secondary, with the academy taking over and becoming the main focus of the child and his family's life.

Some, but not all, families see a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow if their child makes it as a professional and heap enormous pressure on their shoulders to succeed.

Unfortunately, the statistic that only 9% of boys from academies will play a professional game shows the system has a total imbalance of success and failure. We all see the successful ones, but we rarely notice those who fail.

Yet, with the current system in place, it is fair to surmise that families and youngsters who are involved believe their dream can be a reality - even though everyone knows that for most, it will be an experience of rejection and despair instead.

I don't want to take those dreams away from young players but we have to be realistic with them about their chances.

While there are specific individuals a club will identify as being potential professionals, the truth is many of the youngsters have only been on the journey to fill the places needed for training sessions and the weekend games programme at each age group.

I really don't feel academies properly manage the expectations of these players or parents, about where they sit in the overall process of how the academy is thinking and operating.

Players and parents need to be given a full breakdown of where they stand, so they can manage and prepare themselves for the inevitable disappointment when it comes.

Our academies have produced some fantastic talent through the EPPP, and there is more attention paid to player welfare now than in the past, but let's also bring in a bit more emphasis on honesty too.

As I mentioned above, I believe many youngsters joining academies actually take more notice of their coaches at times than they do of their schoolteachers.

It's important this is recognised within the academy system, and academy directors communicate this message to the coaches at every age group from the six-year-olds in pre-academies upwards.

This situation itself is nothing new. Mentoring played a massive part in my upbringing, and sports teachers and coaches were always held in great esteem.

But, for anyone running an academy, they must ensure the coaches are given clear instructions and understanding of their role because of the influence they have.

Standards of respect, discipline and hard work should be as high as they are in any educational environment - and should apply to the academic side of the child's life there too.

The system I have proposed would have more emphasis on education and mentoring - for parents as well as the young players - and also provision for what happens next if they are released aged 16.

Most young players in academies lock into the fact they are preparing for a life in the game, and their parents do too. The statistics show that is rarely the case.

Many coaches I spoke to at different academies spoke about losing players, who stop playing football altogether when they are released. My idea would tackle that too.

I would place academies within six regions in England and Wales, each run by a director and partner them with accredited schools and colleges.

Before they get to scholarship level, players would be assessed at 14 to see what education pathway suits them - whether they are academic or more practically inclined.

At 16, players taking scholarships would enrol in a mandatory dual education programme with the academic partners, depending on the path they want to take.

At the same time, the players who are released at 16, can begin a full-time dual educational programme with the schools or colleges, again based on their preferences.

The benefit for them would be the provision of a new independent games programme where the schools and colleges would compete against each other, featuring teams of released players and their own students.

That way, we keep these youngsters involved and interested in football and stop them losing their love for it. They would also have a route back in the professional game.

Along similar lines, we need an independent voice to help young players and also their parents at every step of their journey.

I mean someone who is not connected to the club, but has experience of coming through the academy system and can offer guidance when things get tough. Parents need constant updates of the children's development from an individual who has the club's ear and can prepare them for good or bad news.

The League Football Education programme currently provides mentors like this for young players, but we need far more of them.

I propose having around one mentor for each age group, from under-14s upwards, all managed by an independent company.

These could be ex-professional or semi-professional players - fully trained on child safety matters, but with experience of the trauma that young players experience when they are released.

These mentors would engage and make close ties with players and families. I'm sure every club can and could appoint former players who have the skillset necessary to help this situation.

When I was filming my documentary series, I spoke to some of the best managers in the game - Sir Alex Ferguson, Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti.

They all spoke about the importance of mentors in their life, and we know how brutal the game can be for young players trying to make it, so why would you not want to provide them with this kind of support?

Many players would love to experience academy football while being given an honest assessment of their own qualities and chances.

I am convinced a lot of hurt has been caused by false signals from people who are part of the system.

If everyone was completely honest with players and parents, then this would be a major step towards the levels of duty of care that are needed.

Given the same kind of honest and open assessment of their prospects that youngsters get academically would give parents and players the information to decide whether to stay in the academy set-up or leave.

Under those circumstances, I am sure just as many youngsters would take up the opportunities that academies can offer, but at the same time they would be able to prepare better for a life after football too.

That's my plan, but what do you think? I'm interested to know what you all think about my ideas and whether they would work.

Tony Pulis was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.