Dutch are role models

Oldham Athletic youth team: Carlton McIntosh (back row, left), Luke Wandless, Joe Cooper, Jack Truelove, Joe Edwards, Kyle Hardman. Anthony Gray (physio, centre, left), John Pritchard, Luke Simpson, Tomos Clarke, Joel Coleman, Jack Poxon, Haydn Foulds, Mick Priest (coach). Danny Gosset (front, left), Will Kinder, Tomos Jones, Tony Philliskirk (head of youth), Michael Brewster, Chris Sutherland, Jordan Bove.

ATHLETIC’S head of youth Tony Philliskirk believes his players’ taste of the continent will prove highly beneficial.

The club’s under-18s recently returned from a 12-day football and cultural tour of the Netherlands, paid for by a successful bid for League Football Education (LFE) funding.

Athletic played four games, winning three.

“It is ridiculous how well the Dutch sides kept the ball,” said an admiring Philliskirk, who is hopng to organise anothr Dutch trip next summer.

“It helped us. We learned about defensive organisation and counter-attacking.

“It was a fantastic trip in terms of organisation and the games we played.

“It was educationally and culturally very beneficial as well and we trained in some great facilities.”

Philliskirk reckons there is plenty our game can learn from a Dutch system in which the general standard of facilities is far better than our own.

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