Dundee youth coaches Stephen Wright and Scott Robertson are hard at work trying to produce the club’s next Max Anderson or Cammy Kerr.
Just as important, however, is the impact on the lives outside football for the youngsters.
That’s the remit of Head of Academy Wright as he enters his third year at the club.
“The ultimate goal is to produce players for the first team, that’s our job,” the former Scotland defender said.
“But you are hoping to change lives for people.
“We are working in collaboration with St John’s Academy and the school have been brilliant.”
‘Shaped my life’
The Dark Blues have released an inside look at how the youth setup is working as their first intake at St John’s comes to the end of the school year.
Under 18s coach Scott Robertson knows all about coming through the Dundee academy, having graduated into the Dens Park first team in 2005.
“I’ve probably got a good perspective on how impactful it can be, having come through the academy myself,” he said.
“I credit a lot to the coaches and the environment we were brought into. It kind of shaped my life, as a person and my career.
“I learned a lot in the academy and that’s a big part of what we are trying to do with these boys at this point in time.”
‘Grab the opportunity’
Robertson took his chance when thrust into the first-team spotlight, eventually going on to represent Scotland.
The club has already seen graduates from the Performance School make an impact in the top team and Robertson says that can only inspire the next generation.
He added: “These boys are at the same school as boys that are in the first team like Cammy Kerr and the Performance School boys like Max Anderson, Finlay Robertson and Lyall Cameron.
“Josh Mulligan has come through as well, though he wasn’t at the Performance School.
“These are now examples for the boys about to step out of the U/18s.
“They’ve seen these boys come through the Performance School and step into the first team.
“That’s what is next for these boys – they just need to grab the opportunity when it is presented to them.”
