Joey Barton believes Bristol Rovers need to reinstate an under-23s programme as a "finishing school" for talent produced by the academy, and he hopes it will be part of his "legacy" when he leaves the club.
Rovers disbanded their development squad in 2021 due to financial constraints, withdrawing from the Central League and making development squad manager Lee Mansell – now in charge at Gloucester City – redundant.
But Barton, who frequently mentions the lack of an under-23s squad to bridge the gap between the under-18s and the first team, says the club needs to "have a sensible conversation" about reintroducing a development squad.
The Gas have a strong tradition of bringing players through the academy and into the first team. Luca Hoole and Alfie Kilgour have featured regularly in recent seasons and Barton has given debuts to teenagers Harvey Greenslade and Jerry Lawrence this term.
But Barton believes the lack of a stepping stone in the form of an under-23s team with a regular schedule of games is making it harder for players to make the leap from junior to senior football. There would also be other perks, such as the ability to carry a larger squad or give players more chances to build their fitness before stepping into first-team action.
"It’s something we have to have sensible conversations about," Barton said. "The reason we’ve got an academy, and I think it’s important when you are a club and a city the size of Bristol, we’re a gateway for the South West. Maybe it’s not Liverpool or London in terms of a hotbed of producing football players, but there are still lots of players that have come from this area.
"Bristol City have got a bit more of an infrastructure and a foothold in getting the best products around. You’ve got Villa and clubs who have clearly identified good academy prospects of ours and scout this area heavily and take anything with a bit of potential.
"We have a decision to make. Either we have a 23s, which becomes a finishing school for your academy because it is too big a jump from under-18s to first-team football – you need that finishing school which is 23s, or reserve team football when I played, and I would prefer to go back to reserve football.
"There is no point in us having an academy if we don’t have a finishing school. It’s like having a primary school and a high school with no sixth form before you go to university, so we’ve got to get that right."
There are logistical challenges as well as financial ones for Rovers to overcome. The club is still waiting to expand the clubhouse at The Quarters and there are tentative plans to create more pitches at the site in Almondsbury in future.
"The focus has been on the first team and the infrastructure and I don’t think we can get them on this site as it stands," Barton said. "We haven’t got enough changing facilities for the first team.
"I think there are plans to convert this to an academy building and put other pitches in. That was part of the discussion I’ve had with Wael that is ongoing."
Barton has often seen his press conferences as an opportunity to share his big-picture vision for Rovers as a club competing the Championship or even above, intent on leaving a lasting impact when his time in BS7 ends; he wants to leave a "legacy" beyond just last season's remarkable promotion.
The 40-year-old wants reinstating and rebuilding the development squad to be part of that.
"As we grow, that is something we certainly want to do, and for me, I’m keen for us to leave something here that stands the test of time when we do eventually pass on the custody to somebody else and somebody else takes the reins," he said.
"I think having a strong academy with a strong finishing part on it that closes the gap on the first team would be a good legacy to leave, but that will come down to finance.
"It’s something by the time I leave in 2026 that I’m keen to see and I’ll constantly keep fighting for that because I am an academy product who was given an opportunity. I will constantly be probing and asking questions because I want to bring young players through because look how young my teams are.
"Last year, everyone was crying out for experience and I think I am the only manager that goes in League Two and picks kids in the backline and chances them. I think I did that with Fleetwood in League One.
"Most go for tried and tested, especially in that central corridor. I’ve had great success with it and I believe in giving youth a chance. There are going to be some harem-scarem moments with that but I believe the upside for getting it right with them is far greater than taking tried and tested.
"History will stand me right or wrong on that, but in the two jobs I’ve had so far it’s paid me dividends and I’d much prefer them to come from our academy and the whole of Bristol and the surrounding area."
Barton has put faith in young players throughout his time at Rovers, albeit many of them have been signed or loaned in from elsewhere, and he says it is important the club builds on the successes of the academy to get more local lads in the team.
"When I see Alfie Kilgour and Luca Hoole, there is nothing better when you’re on the terraces than having someone out there who you know could have been standing next to you and singing a song for the team," he said.
"For some reason, homegrown players, whether that’s Steven Gerrard at Liverpool, they make a different connection with the fanbase.
"I never played for Everton, that was my team. I had opportunities, but I never played with them. I’ve got a good relationship with the fans (at Rovers) but I can’t imagine the bond you must have when you’re someone from the terraces, on the pitch and then back on the terraces.
"I talk about the duty of care. I believe in my role as the manager, I have to fight for that because I think that is a great thing to have at a football club."
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