There was a proud moment for United’s Youth Department on Saturday afternoon, with no less then five of the Club’s Under-18s named in the matchday squad for their Isuzu FA Trophy tie at Frome.
Following hot on the heels of former U18 captain Calum Thomas’ substitute appearance for The Gulls in their 3-1 home success over Weymouth on Tuesday, 16 year-starlet Jacob Wellington joined Thomas in the starting line-up in Saturday’s clash, whilst no less than four of his team mates – Charlie Wills (17), Harvey Coggins (18), Kai Swann (17) and Thomas Chastey (18) – taking their places on the substitutes bench in Somerset.
For Head of Youth, Robbie Herrera, it’s genuine evidence of the strong player pathway being developed at Plainmoor – from the Club’s youngest age-groups through to the first-team.
“It’s fantastic for the players involved,” began Robbie.
“We have a good line of lads coming through, and we’re looking forward to the next batch to be involved in some first-team action, following Calum Thomas’ debut on Tuesday.
“It’s great because it shows that the pathway is there for all to see, and it’s starting to bear fruit, so we wish good luck to the lads involved.”
We’ll be hearing more from United’s young stars over the course of the next few days on www.torquayunited.com, following Saturday’s fixture.