Manchester United and Leeds United snap up talented Doncaster Rovers youngsters

It is understood Manchester United paid Doncaster compensation worth six figures to sign 14-year-old trio Zac Watson, Jariyah Shah and Neithan Barbosa from their academy last year.

Midfielder Jariah and winger Neithan made the move in April, with Zac signing for the Red Devils in September.

Leeds United are also understood to have paid six figures for winger Logan White, also 14, who joined them in October.

Rovers said they will "benefit financially to a significant extent should those players sold progress in the game as we hope they will.”

The youngsters all starred in the same youth team at Doncaster and have already been handed scholarships by their new clubs, securing their services until they are 18.

Scholarships can be offered to promising players in the year they turn 14, with no time wasted tying the quartet down.

The Free Press has been told Rovers have given scholarships to two more players from the same talented team to reward their progress.

“It was a fantastic team, they were very good,” said Tak Shah, whose son, Jariyah, from Bawtry, attends Hall Cross Academy with Logan, from Bessacarr.

"I’m really, really proud of all of them.”

Several Premier League clubs had been chasing the players’ signatures.

Logan’s dad, Sam, revealed his son took part in non-contact training with Doncaster’s first team in August as they tried to convince the then 13-year-old to stay after spending four years in their academy.

Sources familiar with the academy system told The Free Press the practice of boys that young taking part in first team training is not commonplace, but an English Football League (EFL) spokesperson said it was satisfied their safeguarding guidance had been met.

Sam said: “He loved it. It was just to give him a bit of a treat to push him a bit more.

"At Doncaster they could never push him enough. Leeds are really happy with him, since he’s been there he is the top-scorer in his age group. He’s starting to play with the year above now.”

Meanwhile, Zac, Jariyah and Neithan are playing regularly against some of the world’s biggest clubs for Manchester United.

"Every week they are playing against the best players in the world and matching them,” said Tak, who played semi-professionally for Armthorpe Welfare and in Australia, where his son was born.

“Zac attended an England under-15 camp in December, Jariyah has been chosen to play against Real Madrid and Barcelona next month.

"He’s moving over to Manchester full-time at Easter. The club have been brilliant with us. We are a Muslim family, they let him have time off if he needs it for any of his fasting or Ramadan.

"It’s definitely some life but I will say to anybody who thinks it easy, it’s far from it.

"I can see why now why a small number of people make it. It’s not down to talent, it’s down to hard work.”

Data from the Premier League released last year shows how even in the best academies the vast majority of players won’t have a career in professional football.

Seventy per cent of the 4,109 players born between 1 September 1995 and 31 August 2000 who were registered at Category One academies failed to earn a professional contract at a Premier League or EFL club.

Only one in 10 had since made more than 20 league appearances in the top four tiers of English football.

Once accounting for players in other academies, like that of Doncaster, a Category Three set-up, the proportion of players that make it professionally becomes even smaller.

"I got chewed up and spat out.”

A growing number of former academy players have spoken out about their experience of rejection, including former Doncaster Rovers youngster Joe Leesley.

Joe was 16 when he was released by Rovers, having been at the club since the age of 10.

"I always felt I was going to get a scholarship," he told The Free Press. “I got told I was a ‘maybe’, then it turned out I was a ‘no’.

"I got chewed up and spat out. Mentally I struggled a lot and didn't perform to my best."

Joe still looks back on his time at the club with fond memories and recently set up a new project to help youngsters deal with the lows the beautiful game can bring.

He said: "You are going to have more downs and testing times than you will have good times.

"What happens a lot in youth football is that too many lads fall out of the game because they don't know how to deal with the rubbish that happens.”

Jeriyah had already tasted rejection when he joined Doncaster aged nine, having been let go by both Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday.

"Doncaster didn’t really fancy him at first but there was one coach who said ‘let’s just keep him’,” Tak revealed.

Despite the ruthless nature of the academy system, neither Tak or Sam had reservations about letting their sons pursue a career in professional football.

Sam said: “More than anything it’s something to focus his life on.

"Hopefully he takes what he learns here wherever it takes him.

"I’m not disillusioned, hardly any kids make it. You have just got to do everything right and give yourself the best chance.”

Tak added: “I was over the moon. I know in football anything can happen but it (the scholarship) cements a bit of a longer period.

"As long as he’s settled and enjoying it. But it’s like work. If you don’t flourish there, it can well be taken away from you.

"It’s great to have it but you have got to work even harder once you get it. It’s a great achievement but because the boys are so young you don’t see the benefit of it at the moment.”

Tak paid tribute to the influence of their youth coaches at Doncaster, specifically John Buckley, Michael Pedley, who is now a youth coach at Newcastle United, and Tom Sutton, who has since left to work in the academy at Leeds.

"They helped them out a lot,” he said.

"That group of players was beating everybody. They were playing Category One teams and beating the likes of Liverpool.”

‘Significant financial benefits’ possible for Doncaster

A Rovers spokesperson said: “All at Rovers are proud of the progress made by this talented crop of young players that have featured in our academy system and wish them the very best for their futures.

"As a club we have a growing reputation for developing young talent and have plenty of exciting players within our academy currently.

“We of course want to keep promising young players at the club but unfortunately the Elite Player Performance Programme (EPPP) regulations mean we are unable to do so when they opt to pursue interest from Category One academies.

"It is something that impacts the majority of professional clubs in this country and ensures they are powerless in such scenarios. We do all we can to demonstrate we can help them to achieve their ambitions in the game, as well as making them feel valued, but there is little more than can be done due to how EPPP is structured.

"One of the positives from such situations has been the strong relationships we have been able to develop with the top clubs in the country, which will give us access to exciting young talent looking for first team opportunities.

"We will also benefit financially to a significant extent should those players sold progress in the game as we hope they will.

“At Doncaster Rovers, we continually strive to provide the best possible pathway for young players to reach senior football, including promoting player welfare and safeguarding in the activities we undertake.

"That goes too for the staff that work in our academy because we see it as our task to help their development and progression within the game."