Blackburn Rovers, known for their player development, have produced talents like Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway, and Ella Toone. Despite playing in the third tier, Blackburn's youth set-up caught the eye of England's national team. The club's emphasis on developing young talent continues even after the departure of big names.
The Lancashire outfit have long had a big reputation for developing players, but how on earth do they do it?!, they did so with a midfield trio that had all come through at the same club. Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway and Ella Toone had all been team-mates at Manchester City, yes, but before moving to one of the country’s powerhouses, all three spent a significant period of their youth with Blackburn Rovers.
Despite playing in the third tier of women’s football throughout the 2010s, Blackburn produced a number of players that caught the eye of England’s youth set-up, with Walsh, Stanway and Toone winning their first caps for the Young Lionesses while at the club. “It was amazing. I made some best friends for life there. It's where I really enjoyed playing football and probably where I found my love for it,” Walsh said of Rovers earlier this summer, speaking on“ instilled the right way for me to play football, getting the ball down, passing and I think it's kind of got me to where I am now, learning that from such a young age, so I appreciate it.
That emphasis on developing young talent hasn’t gone away in the years since those big names moved on, either. Five players in Blackburn’s current first-team squad have come through the club’s youth system and they’ve all played their part in a fast start to the new Women’s Championship season, Rovers moving up to the second tier back in 2019.
After winning four of their opening five games of the season, Blackburn’s productive youth system is not only at the heart of England’s recent successes, it’s also a big reason why the club has entered the conversation for promotion to the Women’s Super League. So how do they continue to produce talent after talent?
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