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Watford fend off Manchester City bid to keep highly-rated youngster (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)
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Watford fend off Manchester City bid to keep highly-rated youngster
7:40pm Wednesday 28th July 2010
Watford have revealed they turned down a bid from Manchester City for Sean Murray after signing the highly-rated youngster on scholarship and professional terms today.
The 16-year-old attacking midfielder has put pen to paper on a three-year deal, although this cannot be activated until he turns 17 in October.
Murray said: “I was flattered to receive the interest from Manchester City, but I’m delighted to be signing at Watford as they have been a major part of my development. I just want to now get on with playing football and improving as much as I can here.”
From Abbots Langley, Murray has been with the Hornets since 2002 and he was part of the original intake at The Harefield Academy in 2007. He will continue his education at the school as part of his scholarship.
Murray is the second Academy prospect to sign a professional contract in as many days after keeper Jonathan Bond also signed a three-year deal yesterday.
Malky Mackay said: “Sean is someone who has attracted a lot of attention, so we’re delighted to have him sign for us at Watford.
“He’s had a lot to deal with in the last six months or so and he’s coped with it incredibly well.
“We’ve spoken to his parents and they’re good people.
“Sean is now on board and under the care of Joe McBride [youth team coach] from day-to-day.
“He’s coming on well and now it’s up to him to push on as much as he can.
“We’ve got a fantastic set-up at The Harefield Academy and the amount of touches of the ball and training time the kids get is fantastic and we’re now starting to see the results of that.”
Chief executive Julian Winter added: “We have said before how fundamental and unique the Academy is to this football club and this again proves that.
“It is another great achievement to see a youngster sign a professional deal with the club and we’re incredibly pleased to have been able to secure a top talent for the next three years.”
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Your Say YourSt Albans
smalon, South Oxhey says...
8:52pm Wed 28 Jul 10
ghosthorn wrote:Don't be ridiculous.
does this count as a transfer? we need to sign someone with experience?
Good to see the lad and his parents acted sensibly and signed with a club where he has a good chance of progressing to first team football.
Honestly, what is the point of any youngster going to somewhere like Man City or Chelsea? They stand virtualy no chance of getting in the first team. Where are the highly rated youngsters signed from Leeds 4 or 5 years ago now?
rookery boy, watford says...
9:24pm Wed 28 Jul 10
We may not see him in the first team anytime soon,but its a step in the right direction.
Now wheres the first team signings for this year??!!
Richard - Come On You Golden Boys!, Farnham says...
9:59pm Wed 28 Jul 10
Rick Almighty, St Albans says...
11:04pm Wed 28 Jul 10
To be honest, the club is spending a heck of a lot of money on this Harefield scheme - money that could be invested in experienced players who could help us secure our championsip status - so its about time we started to see the positives....God knows there hasn't been many since the capitulation to West Brom in 2007.
smeg, Hemel says...
11:43pm Wed 28 Jul 10
Rick Almighty wrote:The club just can't win with you can they? Damned if the do and damned if they don't. Our academy is the envy of half the country. This boy has clearly got a future in the game and if it were not for harefield he may not have signed, who knows?
Would we have signed him were it not for the interest shown by a bigger club? I'm starting to think that we don't have the talent in the coaching staff required to identify the kids with....well, talent. To be honest, the club is spending a heck of a lot of money on this Harefield scheme - money that could be invested in experienced players who could help us secure our championsip status - so its about time we started to see the positives....God knows there hasn't been many since the capitulation to West Brom in 2007.
smeg, Hemel says...
11:45pm Wed 28 Jul 10
smalon wrote:Amen to that. Harry Forrester went for the big name, big bucks and has hardly been heard of since. I am sure he would be a first team regular for us by now.
ghosthorn wrote: does this count as a transfer? we need to sign someone with experience?Don't be ridiculous. Good to see the lad and his parents acted sensibly and signed with a club where he has a good chance of progressing to first team football. Honestly, what is the point of any youngster going to somewhere like Man City or Chelsea? They stand virtualy no chance of getting in the first team. Where are the highly rated youngsters signed from Leeds 4 or 5 years ago now?
T.O, Watford says...
12:09am Thu 29 Jul 10
Rick Almighty wrote:You and Ghosthorn are two pathetic individuals. Moronic posts on most articles that just make you laugh. You MUST be on a wind up (or drugs) to post this cr@p. The comments on WFC articles are mostly a joke, i wish they'd take the facility off. Bunch of nutters.
Would we have signed him were it not for the interest shown by a bigger club? I'm starting to think that we don't have the talent in the coaching staff required to identify the kids with....well, talent.
To be honest, the club is spending a heck of a lot of money on this Harefield scheme - money that could be invested in experienced players who could help us secure our championsip status - so its about time we started to see the positives....God knows there hasn't been many since the capitulation to West Brom in 2007.
bishopofwatford, bishopofwatford says...
6:56am Thu 29 Jul 10
now now no squabbling my flock
the future of our club ins in developing and yes selling young talent
i really think that thinking the money spent on the academy is wasted is a foolish and short sighted thought
why do want to sign more journeymen experienced players such as ellington , kabba , etc (there are many more examples) when it is plain for even the most shortsighted to see that their loyalty is to themselves and not wfc
no the futures in the academy and young players under 23
still i must away to supervise the choiristers our choirmaster mr dithers has got it into his head that tom jones is going to perform at matins...i think hes been on the communion wine
keep the faith
onlyonerodthomas, st albans says...
8:46am Thu 29 Jul 10
fairwater, watford says...
9:54am Thu 29 Jul 10
That's great, but how about a signing or two for NOW!!
SuperNova, islington says...
11:44am Thu 29 Jul 10
Make no mistake about it.
After the now undeniable fact that England has got a serious youth development crisis coupled with the new 'home grown' policy, no club is better placed that Watford to answer what is a desperate call.
Rick Almighty, St Albans says...
12:17pm Thu 29 Jul 10
SuperNova wrote:Yes, but in the short term, is the clubs youth obsessed policy enough to keep us in the championship, let alone competitive?
The Harefield Academy is the ONE thing that will keep WFC alive.
Make no mistake about it.
After the now undeniable fact that England has got a serious youth development crisis coupled with the new 'home grown' policy, no club is better placed that Watford to answer what is a desperate call.
Hodson, Jenkins, Sordell, Henderson...these players are simply not championship players. At best, they are league 1 quality.
We seem to be spending an awful lot of money on a youth system that is not moving the team forward on the pitch.
We have an academy, that's all well and good. But i think the Harefield scheme is an expensive over indulgence of the clubs obsession with developing its own players.
And if the rationale behind it is simply to produce players that the club will look to sell on for a profit - ensuring any real quality that comes through will have little time to make an impact on our team - then that too is dubious.
No, i'm afraid the jury is still out on this scheme, and in the meantime we have arguably one of the weaksest squads the club has had since the early nineties.
smalon, South Oxhey says...
1:00pm Thu 29 Jul 10
Rick Almighty wrote:You are missing the whole point of the Academy.
SuperNova wrote: The Harefield Academy is the ONE thing that will keep WFC alive. Make no mistake about it. After the now undeniable fact that England has got a serious youth development crisis coupled with the new 'home grown' policy, no club is better placed that Watford to answer what is a desperate call.Yes, but in the short term, is the clubs youth obsessed policy enough to keep us in the championship, let alone competitive? Hodson, Jenkins, Sordell, Henderson...these players are simply not championship players. At best, they are league 1 quality. We seem to be spending an awful lot of money on a youth system that is not moving the team forward on the pitch. We have an academy, that's all well and good. But i think the Harefield scheme is an expensive over indulgence of the clubs obsession with developing its own players. And if the rationale behind it is simply to produce players that the club will look to sell on for a profit - ensuring any real quality that comes through will have little time to make an impact on our team - then that too is dubious. No, i'm afraid the jury is still out on this scheme, and in the meantime we have arguably one of the weaksest squads the club has had since the early nineties.
Yes in the long term it is there to produce players for sale further down the line. The idea is after they have played in our first team for a while to beef up their value so we will get play time benefit from them.
We don't generate enough money comercialy to remain solvent so for us and a lot of lower league teams, this is the way forward.
The other benefit of course is that while graduating from the academy, they will be on low/ reasonable wages.
What has crippled our club even more than the silly transfer fees paid for the likes of Ellington in recent years is the astronomical wages we have been paying these journeymen.
You want us to sign even more of them?
Sean Murray is from the first batch of 11 year olds to join the Academy so wait until he and the others are 18/ 19 years old before judging whether the academy has been a success or not. You can't judge it on our current youngsters who haven't gone through the whole academy process.
SuperNova, islington says...
1:23pm Thu 29 Jul 10
We can't afford players, no club can anymore...and loanees leave me cold. 'Pay as you go' players is not what this club should be about.
We must support Harefield if we truly want to witness the emergence of real, Hornet in the DNA talent...and I don't consider 'Championship Quality' to be anything other than hoof based crap anyway. Any yob can play that, and the little pride I have left as an Englishman demands we seek massive improvement.
As a Watford fan, I'm really really excited about all this. It's an investment that will yield results - even this season.
Prof Plum, Rickmansworth says...
1:47pm Thu 29 Jul 10
Tynedale Hornet, Hexham says...
1:53pm Thu 29 Jul 10
watfordguymatt, Oxhey says...
2:08pm Thu 29 Jul 10
WFC4ever, Watford says...
2:48pm Thu 29 Jul 10
We should give the guys coming through a chance at least.
I accept we also need to think about the present but we'd all be complaining if we lost 2/3 good youngsters without even having the chance to play professional games for us.
Sadly clubs like ours do rely on bringing kids through and then maybe selling them in the future.
luther blissett, Abbots Langley says...
4:46pm Thu 29 Jul 10
Cue the moronic:
- He's not experienced enough.
- Stop dilly dallying and pay a million for him.
- we wouldn't need him if we got Franny Jeffers.
- He won't come here whilst MM has Dyche working with him.
- Jimmy is better than Ashcroft.
- Ashcroft is better than Jimmy.
- Let's get Marlon.
- Watford are the worst club in the world.
To all the whingers out there, I'm sorry if I missed any. Please feel free to add further moans.
sev low, st albans says...
5:23pm Thu 29 Jul 10
fairwater, watford says...
7:21pm Thu 29 Jul 10
sev low wrote:Cannot understand your poor vocabularly, but I say bring back the Russo brothers!
IF jimmy WAS IN THERE WOULD NO HAREFIELD!. good job he's not!!!!!
Password: Best Of The Bunch.
fairwater, watford says...
7:25pm Thu 29 Jul 10
Leave Sordell and Jenkins out of this, I think they have quality still to shine through.
Hodson is not good enough. Neither is Henderson to date, but something inside of me says there is still something to come from this guy!
Password: Time Will Tell
FelixTheHorn, Felixstowe says...
9:45pm Thu 29 Jul 10
luther blissett wrote:nail ... head ... BANG!!!
Deeney £375K rejected? Cue the moronic: - He's not experienced enough. - Stop dilly dallying and pay a million for him. - we wouldn't need him if we got Franny Jeffers. - He won't come here whilst MM has Dyche working with him. - Jimmy is better than Ashcroft. - Ashcroft is better than Jimmy. - Let's get Marlon. - Watford are the worst club in the world. To all the whingers out there, I'm sorry if I missed any. Please feel free to add further moans.
Where are you, whingers?
YELLOWS!!
watters84, harrow says...
9:48pm Thu 29 Jul 10
a all rightly getting good reviews and profiles raised, maybe just under the radar, last nights number 11 shirt wearer Whichelow looks a find indeed!!
Rick Almighty, St Albans says...
11:06pm Thu 29 Jul 10
sev low, st albans says...
11:25pm Thu 29 Jul 10
norwayhornet, Varhaug 4360 says...
12:29am Fri 30 Jul 10
Would be nice if you stopped your contributions to this site!
goatswilly, London says...
4:35am Fri 30 Jul 10
Rick Almighty wrote:No way in a million years this will happen. He will go to Coventry with Boothroyd. Failing that he will go with the club who offers him the most money cos thats the way he rolls.
Apparently Marlon King has been linked with a move back to Watford.
watfordguymatt, Oxhey says...
8:36am Fri 30 Jul 10
JonBoy, Watford says...
8:52am Fri 30 Jul 10
bishopofwatford, bishopofwatford says...
9:18am Fri 30 Jul 10
JonBoy wrote:well well well
Marlon who? This disgrace of a man should be wiped from our history. Any club that touches him is tainted.
here here jonboy i for one would send my season ticket back if he rejoined
by the way is it a coincidence that the day woman beater king gets released his double lucas from eastenders gets arrested for various unpleasantries ??
anyway on a more interesting poit does anyone know if whoever was in charge when ashley young was sold got a sell on clause included in the deal ??
cause if we are to believe papertalk hes worth £30m to villa as spurs have offerd three players in exchange for him ?
well imust away to tend to my flock ...my shephers mr dithers has decided it would be a good idea to drive them thru the streets of norwich next friday to welcome the horns there...i am not so sure my good friend the bishopifnorwich let alone delia would welcome that
keep the faith
Signing on the dotted line: Sean Murray and his parents with Malky Mackay. Picture: Alan Cozzi/Watford FC
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ghosthorn, Rickmansworth says...
8:08pm Wed 28 Jul 10