Successful football managers must have a vision for the future, Gary Rowett is no different. When the Blues manager bought three young strikers, Alex Jones, Nicolai Brock-Madsen and Ronan Hale, to the club, fans could be forgiven for feeling underwhelmed.
But take a raw, unproven striker, polish him up, work with him, you may be looking at the next star of the first team. Of course, you may look back at this article in three or four years` time and accuse me of talking absolute bile.
In the case of Jones, a 20 year-old target man with an eye for goal. Jones netted a hat-trick in today`s development squad win over Millwall. His performance was a snippet of his capabilities.
How about Ronan Hale, a 17 year-old who has helped himself to more goals than hot dinners at youth level? The Northern Irish youngster has been closely monitored by Rowett and his backroom team as he tried to pave his way into the first team picture. And as I understand it, he`s not too far off it.
After joining Blues last summer, Hale`s scoring record for the U18`s read 22 goals in 17 games. An astonishing record at any level.
And what next for young Danish striker Brock-Madsen? Slightly older than the aforementioned duo at 23, Brock-Madsen was signed as a development project for Rowett. As it turned out, injuries to first team players provided his route to the first team earlier than he, and Rowett, expected.
Admittedly, Brock-Madsen didn`t look like he was about to tear up any trees, but his heart was there and that is why Rowett bought him to the club. The Randers-born striker has ability and Rowett will work with him to get the best out of him. If it doesn`t work out, you can`t blame either party for trying.
Hopefully, we`ll see one or more of the three make waves in the first team. Whether a loan spell will be beneficial is Rowett`s decision to make. But there`s no doubting their ability and the contribution they could eventually make if managed properly.
Twitter @robwildey123
Share this article
Related Articles
