Youngster Of The Week: Kyle McFarlane

As a club, we have done remarkably well at bringing young players through the ranks and allowing them to eventually gain a spot in the first team. Butland, Remond and Gray have been notable players of recent times but this tradition is instilled into players at the club and has been for many years.

This article is a quick summary about one of our most promising talents. Usually, a player goes unknown until he has a chance with the first team such as Viv or Charlee, but I aim to eradicate this with a look at the young lad, Kyle McFarlane.

Having joined the blues as an 11 year old boy, he has taken to the club like a duck to water.The most soul destroying thing about following youth football is that you often see a talented player, who thinks they have made it. They get the ‘David Beckham hair cut,’ and drive a car that is more expensive than my entire house. The knock on effect of this is that they don’t work as hard and often don’t make it at such a high level.

This type of youngster is the exact opposite of Kyle McFarlane. A very shy boy, he tends to just get on with whatever task it set whether it be in training or on matchdays. He has previously said on the Birmingham City official website, that he knows he needs to improve his hold up play but in the future would be honoured to sign for the Blues. This undying attitude is very refreshing from such a young player; a case of a wise head on young shoulders.

But attitude is only 50% of becoming a good player, they need to be good with the ball too. Kyle can run over water without making a splash; he is that quick. He has the ability to outrun most defenders and also finish with aplomb. His decision making under pressure is the best I have seen at his level.

Recently, the headlines for strikers have been taken by Ronan Hale, the man of the moment who has a very impressive goal scoring record. Kyle has been out on loan and a couple of niggly injuries has halted his progress but I think he has the raw talent to really impress. He has the footballing brain that cannot be taught and this will be a great advantage if he stays at the Blues’ for years to come.

I hope with continued experience and the upholding of his work ethic, he will certainly go on to make a name for himself. Remember the name; Kyle McFarlane.