Rotherham United Lead Professional Development Phase Coach Rob Poulter he has been left delighted by the effort and application of players in the Millers Academy, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pandemic resulted in the early curtailment of the 2019/20 campaign and players have had to adapt to new protocols to allow a safe environment for them to train and play and Poulter has stressed that the young guns have more than adapted to their ‘new normal’.
“We’ve been massively pleased with the effort and application of the team, it’s not been easy and it has been quite stop start at times,” he told Rotherham’s New Yorker.
“When we have stopped, as a club we’ve put things in place to make sure that the players can continue to develop as best they can. Rob Coleman, our Academy Sports Scientist has designed a home-based programme for our players to work on, if we are told to stop playing again.
“Every base is covered. If we’re in training that is great, we can continue to develop the lads with the obvious Covid-19 protocols in place and if we do stop again, there are things in place that we can utilise to make sure the players are keeping up to speed.”
The Millers have made a promising start to their Youth Alliance League campaign, as well as reaching the final of the 2019/20 EFL Youth Alliance Cup and Poulter has insisted he is proud to be working with this group of players and insists that the mood around the academy is extremely positive.
“I can’t fault the players, it is tough at the minute for young people, so we’re very pleased with what they’ve been doing. Our aim is to develop them, not just as footballers but as people as well. On the football side, as well as the family side we are trying to interlock that as much as possible.
“I have nothing but praise for them and I am really proud to be working with this group of players and going forward I would expect the same. Everything is massively positive at the minute, it is a really good place to be and I just hope that can continue.”
The young guns are next in Youth Alliance League action on Tuesday 1st December, when they travel to Cleethorpes to take on Grimsby Town U18s.