“We have a lot of success stories and this year we were fortunate enough to get a collaboration with the women's team,” Derek said. “It means our Under-12s, 14s and 16s get the opportunity to actually progress into the Under-21 Professional Game Academy (PGA) programme. So, it’s a great incentive for the girls, which they're working really, really hard for. But again, it just shows that everything is possible here.”
As well as giving players the tools to develop on the pitch, the Player Pathway also provides a broad range of support off it.
The programme’s work spans multiple strands, offering sessions on health and nutrition to encourage active lifestyles, workshops on resilience and confidence, and guidance around injury prevention.
For female players, the programme goes even further, covering topics such as menstrual cycles, sports bra selection, and other practical advice designed to help each girl perform at their best.