The academy starlets from Colchester's talent factory set to shine next season

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ONE of the main lasting legacies of Robbie Cowling's ownership of Colchester United will likely be his considerable investment in the club's academy - and his desire to see it flourish.

The U's supremo has ploughed millions into the club's youth set-up over many years, establishing a long-standing reputation within the EFL for producing talented young players.

Mr Cowling's desire for Colchester to be a Category Two academy and the benefits that come from that have ensured that a host of players have successfully progressed from the Professional Development League ranks and into the first team.

The likes of Sammie Szmodics, Junior Tchamadeu, Frankie Kent, Bradley Ihionvien and Kwame Poku are all examples of players who have flourished within the youth ranks at Florence Park and progressed to bigger and better things.

It has proved both heartening and profitable for the U's, with the club benefiting financially from the sale of homegrown players not only at the time of their departure but also further down the line.

Poku is a topical case in point; he is on the verge of leaving League One side Peterborough United and moving to a bigger club for a sizeable fee - and Colchester will profit, due to the clauses inserted in the original deal.

So, what's the current state of play at Colchester, with regard to the young players they have coming through?

(Image: RICHARD BLAXALL)

While many of the U's young starlets spent much of the 2024-25 season out on loan, at the same time, Danny Cowley was not afraid to blood the club's youngsters, when required.

"The fact that we've got a brilliant academy is really important to us," said the U's head coach.

In the latter stages of the campaign, the likes of Oscar Thorn, Frankie Terry, Max Jolliffe and Kien Connolly, along with established first-team player Samson Tovide, were all academy players who featured in the U's senior matchday squad.

Thorn, like Tovide, had by that point established himself as a fully-fledged first-team player, having only made his EFL debut last October following a loan spell at National League South side Chelmsford City.

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The pacy winger clocked up a total of 29 senior appearances for Colchester, 11 of which were league starts.

At the start of the season, Milton Oni burst onto the scene at senior level, making his EFL debut and featuring in the Carabao Cup before suffering an unfortunate knee injury which sadly ended the midfielder's campaign cruelly and prematurely.

In between that, several promising young players have been given the chance to step up to first-team training and on matchday.

At the age of 15 years and 353 days, Lennox Emery was named in Colchester's first-team squad for their EFL Trophy group game against MK Dons, last September.

(Image: STEVE BRADING)

And a month later, striker James Sasere had a similar taste of first-team after the first-year scholar was on the bench for their game at Leyton Orient in the same competition.

"He has real pace and loves scoring goals," said Cowley of Sasere, who had impressed for the U's under-18s.

"He's a kid that wants to run in behind; you see so many forwards in modern-day football that want to come to the ball but he's always looking to be off the shoulder out of the eyeline of the defender and makes lots of really intelligent runs and has a real turn of pace."

Sammie Szmodics attracting interest from Premier League clubs

It was another sign of Cowley's willingness to integrate the club's academy players in his plans, no matter what their age.

Towards the end of the season, young midfielder Ronnie Harvey, who will be a second-year scholar next season, also caught the Cowleys' eye.

He was elevated to first-team level after a spate of injuries opened the door for him to step up.

Cowley said: "He's only a first-year scholar so he's a baby really but, wow!

"He probably wouldn't have got the opportunity had we not been in the situation that we're in but sometimes the opportunity can create careers for young players.

"He's just stepped up in training and just looks like he's going to be a really top player.

There are other academy starlets looking to push on next season, too.

Goalkeeper Harrison Chamberlain and defensive duo Frankie Edwards and Sam Kuffour Jnr are all on professional deals at the U's and having spent time out on loan in the 2024-25 campaign, will no doubt be looking to force their way into the Cowleys' plans, in pre-season.

In addition, Elkanah Akor, Alfie Newby and Kai O'Flynn Martin are the latest players to be offered development contracts by the club, paving the way for them to showcase their talents in the Professional Development League.

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The academy seems as important to the Cowleys as it does to Mr Cowling.

And while the U's owner's time in charge appears to be drawing to an end with a sale of the club edging ever closer, the emphasis on nurturing promising young talent appears as strong as ever.