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CAFC Youth Players You Thought Would Make It

I always thought Charlie McDonald would make it, especially after seeing him score in the Premier League with a cracker against Newcastle, but it shows what I know. He's had a decent lower league career, but I thought he promised much more.

Watching the youth team, I thought Mark Ricketts was going places, although Michael Turner was most people's pick. I was wrong again as Turner has gone onto a solid top flight career (bit of a mistake letting him go) and Ricketts went on to Woking.

Kevin Lisbie looked out of this world at league level, at least until his first major injury. He was prolific too at that age. To be fair, he had a good few season in the Prem, even if he was maligned by some on here.

Neil McCafferty? Paul Linger? Neither filled what appeared to me to be their potential.

Clearly I know nothing when it comes to spotting youth talent! Thankfully I'm not a scout.

Anyone else?
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Comments

  • Anthony Allman? I assumed the FA School of Excellence was a guarantee of future Premier League quality. It wasn't.
  • I honestly thought we would have seen Josh Wright and Harry Arter a lot more in Charlton colours. They're making it now, albeit not in the Premier League, but it has taken them a while.


    I hoped that we would have seen Grant Basey for longer too.
  • I was surprised when we sold Kevin Nicholls, as he was "going to be" the next big thing after Bowyer, but subsequently he only played in the lower leagues so the decision was correcr

    I recall Linger picked up a bad injury, which stopped him reaching his potential?
  • Osei Sankofa, made his debit v Arsenal in the Prem and always looked capable before making it into the First Team. Currently without a club.
  • Charlie McDonald was the one that sprung to mind when I saw the title.

    Bowyer had a good career but never really won anything and I don't think he got much (if any) recognition at international level. When he was coming through I thought he could have been exceptional but he just turned out to be decent.
  • Osei Sankofa, made his debit v Arsenal in the Prem and always looked capable before making it into the First Team. Currently without a club.

    agreed, cant believe he filled in for Young and did an ok job and has just dropped ever since. I do believe he has injuries though. Also did he not come on for his debut at Old Trafford?
  • Miles Weston.

    He used to bomb down the left wing and clip over beautiful crosses. Although he has got a career outta of it, I thought it would definately be for us.
  • SCP was asked yesterday about which young players were ready for the first team.

    Without naming anyone other than Harriot and Cousins he went on to say that with young players some are physically readly but not mentally. And vice versa.
  • edited July 2013

    Osei Sankofa, made his debit v Arsenal in the Prem and always looked capable before making it into the First Team. Currently without a club.

    He's been turning out for Ebbsfleet in some of their friendlies but I'm not sure if he's signed up or not.

    I'd guess that's the Brownie connection.

    EDIT: I THINK he made his debut against Man U a year or two before that Arsenal match. Memory could be playing tricks though!
  • rurik gislason was always mentioned at the forefront of any game our youth team did well in
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  • Jermaine Darlington was the first one I saw who thought was going to be spectacular

    That didn't go to plan
  • edited July 2013
    I remember watching a young winger called Kevin James down at Margate some years back who looked really quick and effective.

    I think he played for Gillingham for a while after us and then disappeared.

    EDIT: Just googled him and he 's at Dulwich Hamlet I think. He's 33 now.
  • James Walker. Scored for fun for the reserves and in pre season but never got a chance with the first team aside from maybe a cup game on the bench.
  • LenGlover said:

    I remember watching a young winger called Kevin James down at Margate some years back who looked really quick and effective.

    I think he played for Gillingham for a while after us and then disappeared.

    Now at Dulwich Hamlet
  • I seriously thought Harry Arter would be the next scott parker or there abouts for us, two footed and tough tackling. Shame with him and Josh Wright it seemed to have been their attitude more than anything.

    Sankofa is a good shout, did a steady job in the prem when we were there and seemed to be a long term replacement for Luke Young. Disappeared now. I remember Les Reed bigging up Myles Weston.

    Mark DeBolla and Stacey Long spring to mind, weren't they one of the few to spend a few months in milan training with Inter?
  • I seriously thought Harry Arter would be the next scott parker or there abouts for us, two footed and tough tackling. Shame with him and Josh Wright it seemed to have been their attitude more than anything.

    Sankofa is a good shout, did a steady job in the prem when we were there and seemed to be a long term replacement for Luke Young. Disappeared now. I remember Les Reed bigging up Myles Weston.

    Mark DeBolla and Stacey Long spring to mind, weren't they one of the few to spend a few months in milan training with Inter?


    Turner and Long
  • In the late seventies / early eighties there was a player called Henry Leville (?spelling) who got rave reports in the local rag as he played representative age group football but I think Mullery destroyed him which tells me it was early eighties rather than late seventies although he was probably around then.
  • The Vietnamese guy from late eighties/early nineties really stood out in the youth and reserve games I saw. Also thought Andy Salako and Mark Tivey would have had more impact on the first team than they did.
  • There was a lad called Alan Ellis who played a few first team games about 1970. Looked a great prospect but then just disappeared.
  • The Vietnamese guy from late eighties/early nineties really stood out in the youth and reserve games I saw. Also thought Andy Salako and Mark Tivey would have had more impact on the first team than they did.

    The Vinh Nguyen

    I remember Andy Salako once tried a magnificent overhead kick in the uptown park days but COMPLETELY missed the ball. I think he traded off his brother
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  • Sankofa is fully signed up at Ebbsfleet and spent last season at Hayes & Yeading.
  • Mouatakil, based purely on his debut, looked like he might be the fastest full back of all time.
  • JiMMy 85 said:

    Mouatakil, based purely on his debut, looked like he might be the fastest full back of all time.

    This one. Didn't come through our academy but looked a real top player and maybe could have been had it not been for his alleged attitude problems.

    Of our own I always thought Josh Wright would go on to have a better career than Shelvey. Funny how it works out.

    Always knew Michael Turner would go on to do well and it was an obvious mistake when we let him go. Even Lloyd Sam should have done better.
  • Swisdom said:

    Jermaine Darlington was the first one I saw who thought was going to be spectacular

    That didn't go to plan

    Agree with Darlington.
  • chazza said:

    Swisdom said:

    Jermaine Darlington was the first one I saw who thought was going to be spectacular

    That didn't go to plan

    Agree with Darlington.
    Broke his leg didn't he? Remember him playing for QPR against us a few years later.
  • Alex Stavrinou, Yado Mambo, Myles Weston, Tamer Tuna
  • Mambo could still come back to haunt us. Tuna looked quality too but disappeared.
  • Mambo has the physique to make it as a top league defender, whether he will develop the skills and know how is another question
  • Excellent shouts on here. James Walker was my first thought - Dowie resigned him remember when he turned up as he was impressed.

    Anthony Allman is another good one that I heard a lot about. Someone I met once worked with him in an office when he was about 25 so that's what happened there.

    Mambo is a good shout. Clearly the club held on because of that physique but an AFC fan I know said he's all power but can't trap the ball.

    Harry Arter and Josh Wright were highly rated but had poor attitudes apparently as some have said. Does Josh Wright get games for Millwall?

  • Gislason plays for Copenhagen now so a fairly high standard.
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