Town’s French academy trio edging closer to the first team.
Picture: HTAFC YouTube.
Zak Armitage; Writer.
Twitter; @Zaksportwriter
Huddersfield Town’s French academy trio who are edging closer to the first team.
I was fortunate enough to be at the FA Youth Cup match between Town and Newcastle the other night. The Young Terriers impressed against a higher level academy and were only beaten on penalties by Newcastle.
There was a handful of standout performers on the night, who deserve praise, goal scorer Pat Jones, was impressive constantly charging to the byline. Brodie Spencer and Shane Maroozda the young full backs were likewise impressive, showing their potential on the night.
But the players who really shined the most for Town, were the French trio of Brahima Diarra, Etienne Camara, and Loick Ayina. Their performances on Tuesday were a reminder of their talent, and a strong reason for Carlos Corberan to take a closer look at them.
Jon Worthington’s side were very impressive, and it was clear to see how Carlos Corberan had instilled his brand of football in to the youth teams. The Terriers looked to play out from the back wherever possible, and dominated possession on the night.
Etienne Camara is already showing his adaptability as a player, with the fact he’s only been with the academy a couple of months, making his performance all the more impressive. Camara looked comfortable on the ball, and was very feisty in the midfield, very reminiscent of a current first team midfielder in Jonathan Hogg.
Loick Ayina was likewise very impressive, with his passing qualities what impressed me most. The French defender looked to switch possession, wherever possible, and was more than capable of executing dangerous cross field passes which on a few occasions carved Newcastle open.
The most well known, and equally impressive out of the trio, is 17 year old wonder kid Brahima Diarra. Brahima will be no stranger to Town supporters having made his debut last week in the defeat at Bournemouth, an experience that clearly benefited the young midfielder. Their is a growing optimism around Town from supporters, and club personnel alike that he could be the next player to breakthrough from the youth ranks in to the first team, and judging off his performance on Tuesday I wouldn’t bet against it.
This trio are giving Town fans a handful of reasons to be excited for the future. None of them have been in the academy longer than 18 months, and yet they all look settled and have such good chemistry with the rest of the squad, this only showcases their adaptability. It’s worth praising everyone involved in Huddersfield Town’s scouting trips to France, because it’s clear that that they’ve unearthed three future stars.
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