“You take them around the world, you’re involved in the schooling, the physical, psychological, development, parental workshop. You’re trying to affect them on so many levels and that’s a big responsibility. You’re aiming for them to have a really wide skillset that makes them more likely to succeed than their peer who didn’t come into the system.
“If we can all do that as Academies then we’re having a positive impact beyond football, impacting communities.”
Maguire grew up in Mosborough in east Sheffield and entered the Blades’ Academy at 10. First-team opportunities were offered to him at a young age.
“Opportunity is everything,” said Binnion. “You can have an unbelievable programme, but if opportunity isn’t there at the end it doesn’t matter. You have kids’ careers in your hands and have to take a pride in them transitioning.”
Maguire made his first-team debut in April 2011 against Cardiff City, just a month after he had turned 18. Despite coming on as a half-time substitute, he was named man of the match. By the time he ran out in the Youth Cup final against Manchester United a few weeks later, he had already made five senior appearances.
By the age of 20, Maguire had made 100 senior starts. In comparison, Chelsea’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who had also made his first-team debut at 18, had only played 31 games after his first three seasons.
“Sometimes I look at the U23 games and wonder what clubs are getting out of them,” said Binnion. “Clubs are winning matches at that level but fielding old teams. By the same ages, our lads had been getting 50, even 100 senior games.
“You learn by playing with players who are better than you at an intensity that’s higher than you have played at before.
“You have to be tough enough to go into that environment and survive. You want the lads to be humble enough to learn but tough enough to survive. Most 18-year-olds aren’t subjected to those kinds of demands, are they, which is why you are having to produce unbelievable people at Academies.
“You also have to remember that the best coaches are senior players. They’re teaching and guiding you – both by example and what they show and tell you – in the heat of competition. Nothing matches that.”
Binnion, who grew up in Chesterfield, also outlined his ambitions for the future.
“I want to implement everything I’ve learned and put that into action in a different situation and also learn,” he said. “I’ve always worked at one club in one setting so am excited about doing that, because I’m passionate about developing players and people.”
He argued that the core of effective coaching remained “how you connect with people” and admitted he worried that young coaches today “don’t get their hands dirty enough” by putting in the hours on the training pitch.
And he was “sick of people talking about ‘old school’.”
“What is old school? Good values? Running hard, working, listening? Being responsible, resilient and honest? These are the qualities you want throughout the generations and then you pick the best of what’s available in terms of sports science or tech to add to that.”