Blues manager Gary Rowett has underlined his confidence in the players coming through the clubs youth academy. Viv Solomon-Otabor, who scored his first professional goal in the 5-2 drubbing of Fulham, is the latest youngster to make the breakthrough.
Rowett also admits that Reece Brown, a midfielder who previously made his first team bow under former manager Lee Clark, Charlee Adams and Emmanuel Mbende are ‘in and around` the first team picture.
Rowett highlighted the biggest advantage of having a smaller squad. He told bcfc.com- “We`ve got some good young players and one of the benefits of having a smaller squad is that we have to fill some of the gaps in with the younger players”.
Solomon-Otabor is also rated very highly by the manager who said – “Without putting pressure on Viv, he could be a £5m player, but he`s got to get on the pitch and play”.
In recent seasons, several youngsters have been promoted from youth to senior football at St. Andrew`s but not all have gone on to become permanent fixtures in the first team. Will Packwood and Callum Reilly were released in the summer and Mitch Hancox is currently on loan at Crawley Town.
But the platform is there and has been utilised by the likes of Demarai Gray and the aforementioned Solomon-Otabor. Koby Arthur also remains on the scene.
Meanwhile, Rowett also admits he is pleased with the progress of young Dane Nicolai Brock-Madsen. The six-foot-three striker has only played 80 minutes of football since joining the club, but Rowett said – “he is making good progress”.
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