The Iron academy’s second year trainee Tom Pugh has been hailed for on and off-the-pitch achievements.
The midfielder is amongst 11 young footballers to have been recognised by League Football Education (LFE). ‘The 11’ acknowledges the football and academic progress of Under-18 players on apprenticeships at current or former EFL clubs - and is also designed to assess other factors, including involvement in community or charity-based initiatives.
This accolade celebrates the holistic development of young players, a barometer which is also applied to the LFE Apprentice of the Year Awards presented at The EFL Awards dinner in April. England Under-20 World Cup winners Ademola Lookman (formerly Charlton Athletic), Dael Fry (Middlesbrough), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (formerly Sheffield United) and Lewis Cook (formerly Leeds United) have all previously been named in ‘The 11’.
Everton forward Lookman and AFC Bournemouth midfielder Cook also went on to become Apprentice of the Year winners, as did Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham) and Watford’s Ben Wilmot (formerly Stevenage), who were both featured prior to picking up the 2018 awards in the Sky Bet Championship and Sky Bet League Two, respectively.
Others to previously appear in this select group include Leeds United’s Jamie Shackleton, Swansea City striker Oli McBurnie (formerly Bradford City) and England Under-17 World Cup winners Steven Sessegnon (Fulham) and Billy Crellin (Fleetwood Town).
The 11:
• Reuben Collins (AFC Wimbledon)
• Ben Forrest (Birmingham City)
• Joe Adams (Bury)
• Joe Neal (Cambridge United)
• Jared Wild (Chesterfield)
• Jordan Adebayo-Smith (Lincoln City)
• Tyla Dickinson (QPR)
• Dan Adshead (Rochdale)
• Tom Pugh (Scunthorpe United)
• Marcus Dewhurst (Sheffield United)
• Daniel Ojo (Yeovil Town)
Iron academy manager Tony Daws said: “We are proud of Tom for gaining this recognition, as we are proud of all of our players.”
LFE chief executive Sarah Stephen added: “The 11 is directly associated with apprentice reviews that are conducted by our regional officers throughout the season. It is a great way to highlight the achievements and progression of talented young footballers who apply themselves to all aspects of their apprenticeship.”
For in-depth profiles on all of the players named in ‘The 11’ for December, please visit the LFE website.