League Football Education (LFE) has recognised the on and off pitch achievements of 11 young footballers, with the Sky Blues very own, Harrison Nee selected.
‘The 11’ acknowledges the football and academic progress of Under-18 players on apprenticeships at current or former English Football League (EFL) clubs – and is also designed to assess other factors, including involvement in community or charity-based initiatives.
Harrison portrayed a great attitude within this review period, maintaining his level of education and continuing to work above his target grade in most units, while also starring on the pitch for the Under-18s.
The young forward voluntarily completed interactive sessions with staff and teammates during lockdown and has hit the ground running with nine goals in his opening six games of the season, including a hat-trick against Queens Park Rangers.
During the 2020-21 season, 33 apprentices will be selected for the award, which celebrates the holistic development of young players and is a barometer applied to the LFE Apprentice of the Year awards. All three academy players to triumph at the EFL Awards last season – Jude Bellingham (Birmingham City – now Borussia Dortmund), Luke Matheson (Rochdale AFC – now Wolverhampton Wanderers) and Scott Pollock (Northampton Town) – were also previously named in The 11.
Elsewhere, other notable academy graduates to earn the accolade includes Dominic Calvert-Lewin (formerly of Sheffield United), Ademola Lookman (formerly of Charlton Athletic), Oli McBurnie (formerly of Bradford City) and Ryan Sessegnon (formerly of Fulham).
LFE chief executive Sarah Stephen 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.”
Jay Groocock, Head of Education & Welfare, told LFE: “Harrison has been instrumental on the pitch, scoring plenty of goals for the Under-18s. His performances have been noticed as he recently experienced minutes with the Under-23s squad.
“In the classroom, Harrison is always a catalyst for discussion and has the ability to bring other teammates into the relevant topic discussions, while his high work ethic is helping him achieve a higher grade profile than his target.”