Youth Template 1

I cannot stress enough how important having some decent youth players is in this game but you have to ask yourself a few questions before you start.

Am I bothered about having a successful senior team?

My answer to that question was yes. My senior squad takes precedent over my youth squad at all times. One of the hardest things to do on this game early on is have both a successful senior and youth setup.

What does this mean?

It means that when I buy a youth player he will be for developing rather than for competing. Just because you buy some youth players it does not mean you have to have a full youth team. You have to remember that some people in the game will have only what is considered a youth team, they will have sacrificed a senior team in order to have a very competitive youth team. You do not want to be entering any competitions with your youth team that will cost you money because you will be playing against far superior youth.

What to look for?

Don't be overawed by a 16 year old who has a couple of stats above 15, this does not make him a good player. Look at the position he plays naturally and decide whether his stats make him good at his job in that position. It sounds obvious but it's true, all 15/16 year old players will develop physically like in real life, what you want is a player who already has decent stats for his position because the rest of his stats have time to catch up with the right coaching. And while everything else is slowly getting better, the key stats that were already decent may also get better if you are lucky. Remember you are not competing with these players you are just developing them.

A Rough Guide for youth 16 or under.

Goalkeepers: Handling 12+ Reflexes 12+ Eccentricity -7

DC's: Tackling 10+ Marking 10+ Jumping 10+ Heading 10+ (worth noting that taller players have a better chance of having a higher jumping stat)

Midfielders : Passing 10+ Creativity 10 +

Strikers: Finishing 10+ Composure 10+ ( again look out for taller players if you are wanting a target man)

All of those provide the base for decent youth but if you find these next few key stats along with the rough guide then you have got a better player.

First Touch: Anything above a 7 for those players. All players need a decent first touch.

Technique : 10+ for strikers and midfielders, 7+ for DC's

Pace & Acceleration: If I was competing with these youth players then these stats would be more important to me. Do not be put off by players who have these stats as low as 6. If all their other stats are great then I ignore most of their physical stats because they have time to develop. The first stats to get green arrows in all my youth are the physical stats.

If you find a player with all of the above and then some other stats which are high then you are onto a winner.