FARRELL REFLECTS ON ‘SUCCESSFUL’ SEASON WITH U21S

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Manager chats development, cup triumphs and more

2024-06-09T12:00:00.000Z

FARRELL REFLECTS ON ‘SUCCESSFUL’ SEASON WITH U21S

Manager chats development, cup triumphs and more

2024-06-09T12:00:00.000Z

Manager chats development, cup triumphs and more

For U21s Manager Andy Farrell, the 2023/24 season was yet another one doing what he loves – helping young footballers grow and reach their potential.

Burnley is a club close to the Essex-born 58-year-old’s heart, with Farrell making 257 league appearances for the Clarets between 1987 and 1994.

He has been working within the club’s Academy and/or community set-up since 1999, holding various roles at U18s and U21s level.

Speaking following the conclusion of the season, Farrell said: “I like working with the younger lads and I like to think that I’m actually offering them something!

“I’ll always do my best and I think I’m very fortunate to have been involved in football for as long as I have, particularly at a big club like Burnley.”

The U21s have just completed another busy season, competing on four fronts.

In addition to the Professional Development League schedule, the young Clarets competed in the Lancashire FA Senior Cup, the Premier League Cup and the EFL Central League Cup.

There was also the final of the 2022/23 Lancashire FA Senior Cup in August, with 2023/24’s final set to be played before the start of 2024/25.

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“I think it’s been a successful season,” Farrell continued.

“There are a number of young lads who have come through and performed reasonably well.

“We made some changes in those players in terms of work ethic, going about it differently and pushing them a bit harder to find out whether they’re up to it.

“Vernon (Masara) showed that he was, and Joe Ashton has been a regular from the start of the season. Joe looked a little intimidated at first, but quite quickly got his head around it.

“Murray (Campbell) has come in and is still 17, but he doesn’t look it! In terms of his maturity and footballing ability he looks a lot older.”

All three of those players were key in the team’s route to winning the Central league Cup, an EFL Reserves competition, in which the Clarets won all six of their matches and overturned a two-goal deficit in the final.

Reflecting on the showpiece occasion at Pride Park, Farrell said: “Looking back at my career, I was fortunate enough to come to Burnley as a player at a big club in the lower leagues and play in front of decent crowds.

“However, I only experienced two promotions and a Sherpa Van Trophy final in 17 years of football, so you don’t get to celebrate that often!

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“Because of that, it was good for the boys to experience a cup final so early in the careers against a top club like Derby at Pride Park.

“We’d been talking a lot about hard work in the build-up and in the first 15-20 minutes we probably weren’t quite at it. After we gave them a bit of a nudge from the touchline, they organised themselves and sorted the press out.

“The goal before halftime gave us a lifeline and after the break we were really on the front foot. You can’t do that with one or two players not at it – collectively they were up for it, and it was a great experience for the boys.”

The 2024/25 season is edging ever closer, with Farrell, his staff and the players set to return to Burnley Training Centre before the end of the month.

To finish, the experienced coach looked ahead to what their schedule is likely to look like.

“We’ll make sure that the boys come back somewhere near their levels,” he said.

“Football is far more professional these days, so it isn’t just a case of coming back, doing some long runs and then you’re ready.

“We’ve got the County Cup final too – we won’t play that any differently to how we’d play any other game.

“We’ll still have the mindset of pressing hard, recovering high up the pitch and trying to play. It’s got to be a habit and an everyday thing.”