Aberdeen under-20s coach Paul Sheerin hopes the building of new training facilities can help expedite the number of players he can produce for the first-team.
The £50 million stadium complex at Kingsford was given approval by Aberdeen City Council yesterday, with the Dons hopeful of having the training ground up and running by the summer of 2019.
Sheerin believes the whole academy setup will see the tangible benefits of being able to train on full-size pitches, something the academy squad is not currently capable of.
He said: “When you look at the football academy they are playing a lot on a quarter or third-of-a-pitch at times and the work the coaches are doing is outstanding considering what they’re up against. Just the fact we will have full pitches for these young boys to get things like their game management levels better.
“Then when they come to me at under-20s level it will have been so beneficial that they have had the right facilities to help them progress since the age of 10. That will obviously give us the best chance possible to eventually produce more players for the first team which is the main aim of what we’re doing.”
Despite the lack of their own facilities, the Dons have still produced Scott McKenna and Scott Wright for the first team in the last few seasons, as well as Daniel Harvie and Dean Campbell – Sheerin’s under-20s captain – being around the squad.
The example of McKenna, who has gone from fringe player to Scotland international this season, is one the young Dons would do well to follow.
Sheerin said: “Big Scott was fortunate with the result in the League Cup down at Motherwell and how he could make things better. With playing Motherwell again so soon he was the answer and took his opportunity. Throughout the academy, you try to show them the example of that. He’s been a model professional during my time at the club and is getting all he deserves. You certainly hope they use that and for the main, a lot of them will.”
The 43-year-old takes his charges into the Scottish FA Youth Cup final tomorrow against Hibernian at Hampden Park. Sheerin’s star is one on the rise and he spoke to Caley Thistle last summer about their managerial position, following their drop to the Championship. The former Inverness player is in no rush to break out on his own but admits it would interest him in the future.
Sheerin said: “Last season was just pure interest from Inverness who approached the club and did everything right. The manager was happy for me to go and speak to them so it was something that became an opportunity for me.
“Full time chances like that won’t come up very often in Scotland and of course I used to be a player at Inverness. It was an opportunity I couldn’t ignore but I don’t have any burning ambition at the minute to become my own man.
“I’m happy doing what I’m doing at Aberdeen and enjoy working with the boys on a day-to-day basis. That’s not to say if another chance came along I wouldn’t consider it as one day I hope to be a manager but I’m getting the benefit of working with the manager and Tony Doc which is priceless.”