Brentford’s director of youth football development Ose Aibangee says there will be no quick fix to the job of producing new first-team talent.
The 42-year-old, who has experience at Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Watford to drawn on, took over the reigns of Brentford’s Centre of Excellence earlier this year following the departure of Barry Quin.
The club’s most successful home grown talents of the past decade are skipper Kevin O’Connor and defender Karleigh Osborne, and the current Board have earmarked youth development as a priority to boost Brentford’s Championship quest.
But Aibangee, who currently has 140 players under his guidance, has warned it will take time for fans to see the fruit of his labour.
“The board say they want the club to be in the Championship and maybe challenging at the top of the Championship, but that move up has to be sustainable,” he said.
“Two players - like Kevin O’Connor and Karleigh Osborne - coming from through the ranks and being first team regulars in the last 15 years, I wouldn’t say is a good strike rate.
“But it is isn’t something that will change over night. It will take three or four years to have a steady stream of players moving up in to the first team squad.
“We have brought in different ideas and a different ways of doing things and it has been a case of persuading everyone that it is for the best.
“But we have got the right staff in now who are passionate about youth football.”
Crystal Palace lost promising youngster - and former Bees loanee - John Bostock on what then chairman Simon Jordan claimed was a cut-price deal to Spurs before he was old enough to sign professional terms.
But Aibangee is confident the same misfortune will not befall the Bees “We are looking to produce players who can play at the top, top level and players will inevitably move on. We can’t stop them,” he added.
“Whatever level they move on to we are out to make sure they have the best grounding in the game to help them progress.
“You always hope you are rewarded for your efforts. But if the club looks after the player and the player is happy and believes in what the club is doing, then I’m confident the player will do the right thing.”
Aibangee says the next step to attaining Academy status - under Football Association guidelines - is finding a venue with suitable indoor facilities to house the first and youth teams.
It is a step that could see boss Andy Scott’s men given a purpose-built training ground and the youth development chief believes that would be the dream scenario.
“Everything is in place to attain Academy status. Everything we are now doing is of the right quality and I would hope we can make that step if not next season, then definitely the season after,” he added.
“The one stumbling block is the venue and we are one of about five clubs looking for similar facilities. We are in the process of submitting planning permission.
“It would make sense to have both teams based in the same place because the young boys have some thing to aspire to.”
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