If Danny Graham does sign for Sunderland they will be spending £5.5million on a 27-year-old player they could have had for nothing as a 15-year-old.
The scout who recommended Graham when he saw him playing at 15 for Chester Town has been spotting talent round the North East for 50 years. He knows a player when he sees one, from the age of six to 26. No one at Sunderland paid heed and Graham eventually went to Middlesbrough.
Now in fairness, Sunderland's academy as it is today was unrecognisable back then. It was typical of 'youth systems' throughout the country and certainly wasn't anywhere near the first team on so many levels.
Wanted: Swansea striker Danny Graham could return to the club who allowed him to leave 12 years agoThe coaches, scouting network, recruitment officers, not to mention the facilities they share with the first team would not allow a Danny Graham to slip through the system now. And if he was recruited, he would finish a better player, and individual.
Sunderland have all the credentials for the Barclays Premier League and work continues daily to find the next Jordan Henderson and Jack Colback. But for Sunderland's two FA Cup ties against Bolton Wanderers, Martin O'Neill named six substitutes and decided not to reward a youth or fringe Under 21 player with a place on the bench and experience of the first team squad and dressing room on match day.
Interestingly, last week in his Sportsmail column, former Sunderland winger Kevin Kilbane praised Derby manager Nigel Clough, who would promote youth players to his bench after they had played an Academy game on the Saturday morning.
Rising star: Jordan Henderson came through Sunderland's Academy before he was sold to LiverpoolO'Neill takes a very different approach and is very serious about the subject. This is his message to the club's youngsters. He said: 'We travelled to South Korea in June and with some of the players not back from international matches the opportunity was there. It was only friendlies and some of the younger players realised what they have to do to try to get into the team.
'When I was in Scotland we had a rule where the bench went from five to seven people but in that you had to include Under 21 players and I was always dead against it. It was passed by people who I'm not sure had given it proper thought.
'Some players were now on bench who felt the next step was the first team and it wasn't materialising. Two years on they hadn't improved and then they'd gone past the Under 21 and suddenly they weren't anything. You have to earn the right to be in the side.
Policy: Sunderland manager Martin O'Neill has taken a cautious approach to using academy players'I am not saying we don't have some young players coming through. I am very hopeful we will and whatever changes have been made to academy categories – and that is a separate answer in itself – whether that comes to fruition, we will see.
'But at this moment I would be happy to give a shirt to someone I feel will come in and be able to – if asked – come onto that field and do something.'
Newcastle's younger players have, through circumstances beyond their manager's control, been thrown into an almighty cauldron this season. And very few have coped, but then the senior players have been struggling too.
It has been hard on the likes of Shane Ferguson, Sammy Ameobi and Gael Bigirimana who have been unable to play freely in key games which have put their lack of experience to the test.
Doing it for the kids: Gael Bigirimana (left) and Sammy Ameobi have been unable to play freely in key games More from Colin Young... Northern Exposure: Sunderland are still a club in transition with Paolo Di Canio ready to instill radical changes 15/05/13 Pardew denies Newcastle rift as Di Canio calls for 'nice' Sunderland to develop an edge... but both are at risk of relegation 03/05/13 Northern Exposure: How long can Di Canio's Sunderland honeymoon last? 23/04/13 NORTHERN EXPOSURE: Paolo and Pardew ride the North-East rollercoaster... but is one of them heading for oblivion? 17/04/13 Northern Exposure: It's nearly time for the Tyne-Wear derby but who are the 22 players that Pardew and Di Canio should select? 10/04/13 Northern Exposure: Sunderland can't sweep this furore under the carpet, it would never have happened under Quinn's watch 03/04/13 Northern Exposure: Newcastle are flying in Europe but the main talking point is Pardew's beard! 14/03/13 Northern Exposure: The Toon Army are set for another long Europa League trip this week... but so are their opposition 05/03/13 Northern Exposure: Boro's form went down with the Christmas decorations leaving promotion hopes hanging by a thread 27/02/13 VIEW FULL ARCHIVEAlan Pardew has not hidden his acceptance it has been too much for them at times. Take the FA Cup defeat at Brighton and Hove Albion as an example. And neither have the board, who have added five French players, including one with similar credentials.
I asked the Newcastle manager if the route from the academy to the first team would be more difficult in the light of the latest invasion from Ligue 1.
He said: 'I still have high hopes for Sammy, for Fergie. It's a good question at this time, because I think they need to go out and get eight or nine games under their belt, perhaps at Championship level, to get their confidence back.
'They've had to come into a losing situation and we've had to ask three or four of them to go into the team and pick us up. It's very very difficult that. I have some sympathy for them.
'There is a route and Adam Campbell is another one who is actually very unlucky not to travel to Aston Villa because he's been doing really well in training.
'The most ideal situation for this club is to produce our own and we'll be looking at that very very strong in the summer in terms of trying to improve that area.'
On that note, Pardew announced that Australian defender Curtis Good has been granted his wish to stay at Bradford City and, unlike his senior team-mates, could make an appearance at Wembley this season.
Staying put: Alan Pardew has given Curtis Good permission to play for Bradford at Wembley next monthPardew is delighted for the summer signing and, as he ponders other loans from his squad, the positive impact the loan to the League Two club has had on his first season in English football.
He added: 'Curtis is staying. He has to play bloody well to stay in the team as well. I expect to see him at the cup final, but if I don't we'll have to wear that on the bench. Hopefully he'll play.
'It's brilliant. One of our squad is having a fantastic season and good luck to him. He's not ready for us, in my opinion. But what a great introduction he's had to British football.
`When Curtis comes back in the summer I expect him to be really pushing. It's right where he is right now, right for him, for Bradford and for us.'
Of course things have always been done slightly differently at Middlesbrough where the academy production rate is one of the highest in the country.
Products: Lee Cattermole (left) and Adam Johnson began their professional careers with MiddlesbroughCircumstances over the last five years have tied their managers' hands a little but even when they weren't in the Championship, Middlesbrough were promoting their youngsters to the first team.
And they are now scattered across the Premier League, as Sunderland can testify with Adam Johnson and Lee Cattermole in their line-up every week.
There are 42 players, including West Brom skipper Chris Brunt who didn't actually play a first-team game for Boro, who have now played professional football.
This season Boro manager Tony Mowbray has nine academy graduates in his squad, including defender Stuart Parnaby who returned to Teesside at the start of this season. Parnaby's dad Dave and academy director has also provided Mowbray with the North East's young player of the year Jason Steele, Rhys Williams, Seb Hines, Connor Ripley, Adam Reach, Richard Smallwood, Luke Williams, Cameron Park and Curtis Main, with others like England Under 17 captain Bryn Morris, Jordan Jones, Christian Burgess and Paul Weldon on the periphery pushing to become the latest to make the journey from his teams to the first team. Keep your eyes on those names.
If Boro were still in the Premier League, perhaps there would be fewer routes to the manager's thoughts. Mowbray clearly trusts them enough to help them get back there.
