Congratulations to Iron goalkeeper Adam Kelsey, who has been included in the League Football Education's team of eleven, for his performances not only on the pitch, but off the pitch as well.
‘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 Ben Wilmot (Stevenage), who were both featured prior to picking up the 2018 awards in the Championship and League Two, respectively.
Others to previously appear in this select group include Conor Chaplin (Portsmouth), James Justin (Luton Town) and England Under-17 World Cup winners Steven Sessegnon (Fulham) and Billy Crellin (Fleetwood Town).
The 11 – May 2018:
- Jack Evans (Blackburn Rovers)
- Alex Render (Chesterfield)
- Elliot Bonds (Dagenham & Redbridge)
- Cameron Cresswell (Derby County)
- James Morris (Doncaster Rovers)
- James Gillard (Northampton Town)
- Atli Barkarson (Norwich City)
- Adam O’Reilly (Preston North End)
- Adam Kelsey (Scunthorpe United)
- Joe Romanski (Swindon Town)
- Ryan Giles (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
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Adam has performed to an exceptional standard in the classroom, achieving triple distinction star grades in his BTEC despite often having to catch up on work missed due to his involvement with the first-team. The teenage goalkeeper produced an impressive display during Scunthorpe’s FA Youth Cup loss to Chelsea in December and although he is yet to make his senior bow, the second-year apprentice has appeared on the bench on several occasions and trains with the first-team on a daily basis. Academy manager Tony Daws told LFE: “Adam has been a terrific role model to the new first-year boys, often helping them and advising them both in football terms and also in the classroom. “Adam breezed through his NVQ and his coaching badge and achieved terrific grades on his BTEC, gaining impressive comments from the tutors regarding his application on these courses.” |
LFE chief executive Alan Sykes 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."