Peterborough United manager Darren Ferguson’s successes and failures with young Posh players

Peterborough United manager Darren Ferguson could never be accused of ignoring his younger players.
By Alan Swann
Published 19th Jul 2020, 12:00 BST
Joe Newell in action for Posh.Joe Newell in action for Posh.
Joe Newell in action for Posh.

Even a concerted push for promotion from League One last season didn’t stop Ferguson handing first-team debuts to seven teenagers and there would have been an eighth if Flynn Clarke hadn’t been injured.

Ricky-Jade Jones, Archie Jones, Kyle Barker, Sam Cartwright, Harrison Burrows, Benjamin Mensah and Bobby Copping all played first-team football for the first time last season.

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Ricky-Jade Jones, Clarke and Harrison Burrows have been touted as future stars by all who have worked with them at London Road.

Jermaine Anderson playing for Posh.Jermaine Anderson playing for Posh.
Jermaine Anderson playing for Posh.

Ferguson always claimed Joe Newell was the best player in his time to emerge from the Posh Academy.

Midfielder Newell was just 18 when Ferguson handed him his first-team debut at the back end of the 2010-11 promotion winning season and he went to make more than 100 Posh appearances before playing in the Championship with Rotherham United and thenthe Scottish Premier League with Hibernian.

Others to have reasonable lower league careers after being given their first opportunity under Fergison include midfielder Jermain Anderson who was given his first-team debut aged 16 in a Championship defeat by Blackburn in front of the live TV cameras aged just 16 in 2012 and full-back Kgosi Nthle who made his debut, also in the Championship, aged 18.

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Anderson looked set for a bright future until suffering a couple of terrible knee injuries and spent last season at Bradford City. Nthle is currently at Scunthorpe United.

Posh striker Jaanai Gordon in action.Posh striker Jaanai Gordon in action.
Posh striker Jaanai Gordon in action.

Not every teenager blooded by Darren Ferguson in the Posh first-team goes on to enjoy success.

Wide players Alfie Potter and Dominic Green flattered to deceive, while midfielder Charlie Coulson didn’t play again after making a first-team debut in a Championship fixture as a 16 year-old in 2012.

At the time Coulson was the second-youngest player in Posh history after Matthew Etherington, but was playing for Deeping Rangers in the United Counties League recently.

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Forward Jaanai Gordon was another to start a Championship game for Posh under Ferguson aged just 16 , but made just five more Posh appearances before leaving the club.

Local lad Gordon did go on to join West Ham, but has now drifted into non-league and spent last season at Oxford City.

Related topics:Darren FergusonLeague One

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