under 15

This has probably been asked before but why can't we sign players under 15 as it is happening more and more now with the likes of rhain davis, alex postolache and jpeto all of whom are 10 or under yet exhibit great skill.

I have no desire to buy anyone that young. 15/16 is ok. No need to change that.

Because the database would be huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge and I don't know how you would assign a score between 1 and 20 to a 10 year old or give them a PA. At least at 15 we can assume that what we see is what we get plus some because of training. At 10 it's all just a big fuss about nothing.

When was the last time we saw someone that age actually make it to the top?

Two words should stop this suggestion in it's tracks; Sonny Pike. Now there's a depressing story if ever I heard one.

Originally posted by Nomis07:

Because the database would be huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge and I don't know how you would assign a score between 1 and 20 to a 10 year old or give them a PA. At least at 15 we can assume that what we see is what we get plus some because of training. At 10 it's all just a big fuss about nothing.

When was the last time we saw someone that age actually make it to the top?

Two words should stop this suggestion in it's tracks; Sonny Pike. Now there's a depressing story if ever I heard one.

Correctamundo.

The only players you hear about at the age of 10 years old are the ones who can dribble past the entire opposition and finish well (ie. the latest Autralian little thing Man Uts were interested in). You never hear of awesome 10 year old centre-backs. It's all a bit silly really.

I think the biggest problem with predicting how very young players develop is judging how they will grow physically. Tom Huddlestone was rejected by Nottingham Forest when he was 15 (if I remember right) because he was too small, but now he's a monster of a midfielder.

In gameplay terms, I don't see the point. The kids aren't professional, so you don't really have any involvement in them. The way they're brought in is pretty much simulated by the youth academy system already implemented.

Sonny Pike? Is he the kid that signed for Ajax or PSV or some big foreign team?

I dont think That players should be in the game at that age either. There are too many useless teenagers in the game already for me.

There are a few talented 14 year olds included in the game, Martin Galvan at Cruz Azul in mexico with a high PA, and last year it was Nicolas Millan who was 14 with a high PA.

Although sometimes, I do wish you could recruit a few regens from younger ages just for more training time before they hit the squad, maybe then, we could have some players more like Messi, Rooney etc coming through if they had enough time to train rather than just 12 - 18 months before they hit 17.

Sonny Pike

Could be for privacy reasons too; clubs are very secretive about their youngsters that are, say, under 15 for their own safety. I think it would be good courtesy for SI not to include kids in the game as a result.

But I think it's the database size. How far do you go? Lots of clubs have, say, Under-8s leagues.

Would anyone care to enlighten me on the Sonny Pike story please?

thanks

Yep. There's also more detailed (but out of date) information here: http://www.angelfire.com/falcon/jojo3/

Although the bit about the "Fag at Half-time culture" has the potential to be massively misunderstood by the Americans among us.

wouldnt it be good if you could manage a small club or school side of 14/15/16/17/18 year olds

I'm not too sure.

I do like the idea of being able to get a job as Assistant manager, or youth team manager, as quite a few manager started off as assmans, and it would be a good way for new players to "get into" the game.

But that's largely for a different thread, and I think the feature has been raised in the past, largely without success.

Originally posted by freddiw:

wouldnt it be good if you could manage a small club or school side of 14/15/16/17/18 year olds

NO

only first-teamers that are younger than 15 are included in the game (like Millan as someone mentioned, who set the record in the Chilean league if I recall correctly). and that's how it should be - it's so easy to overrate young players because they can be awesome technically or physically, but many never develop mentally.

that said, I think an interesting feature could be to have an U-16 side at the club, but not with actual players - instead, at the end of each season, you get a list of regen youth players and your assistant manager's rating of CA and PA, along with strengths/weaknesses. then you can select the youth players you want to promote to the U-18s, depending on CA/PA, positions you need to fill, and your playing style (maybe you like ball-playing centre backs instead of David Weir types). just thought of this when I saw this topic

Originally posted by SWaRFeGa:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Nomis07:

Because the database would be huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge and I don't know how you would assign a score between 1 and 20 to a 10 year old or give them a PA. At least at 15 we can assume that what we see is what we get plus some because of training. At 10 it's all just a big fuss about nothing.

When was the last time we saw someone that age actually make it to the top?

Two words should stop this suggestion in it's tracks; Sonny Pike. Now there's a depressing story if ever I heard one.

Correctamundo.

The only players you hear about at the age of 10 years old are the ones who can dribble past the entire opposition and finish well (ie. the latest Autralian little thing Man Uts were interested in). You never hear of awesome 10 year old centre-backs. It's all a bit silly really. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

On a side note his name is Ali Eyigun and he is actually Turkish

Originally posted by Doruk:

On a side note his name is Ali Eyigun and he is actually Turkish

I think SWaRFeGa was talking about Rhain Davis.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/skills/6927568.stm

The only way for regens to truly reach their potential if they're wonderkids though is to have them before they're 15, when you look at Rooney, Ronaldinho, Messi etc most of those were already playing football with youth teams etc quite a while before they were 15, very few start full training at 15/16 and then go on to become the worlds greatest players.

Originally posted by SWaRFeGa:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Nomis07:

Because the database would be huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge and I don't know how you would assign a score between 1 and 20 to a 10 year old or give them a PA. At least at 15 we can assume that what we see is what we get plus some because of training. At 10 it's all just a big fuss about nothing.

When was the last time we saw someone that age actually make it to the top?

Two words should stop this suggestion in it's tracks; Sonny Pike. Now there's a depressing story if ever I heard one.

Correctamundo.

The only players you hear about at the age of 10 years old are the ones who can dribble past the entire opposition and finish well (ie. the latest Autralian little thing Man Uts were interested in). You never hear of awesome 10 year old centre-backs. It's all a bit silly really. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

you can hardly be a great center back at 4 foot tall can you?

a 10 year old with great close control can cut it with older people, but a 10 year old who defends who is smaller than everyone else at the older level is obviously useless

Originally posted by Bluenose_92:

you can hardly be a great center back at 4 foot tall can you?

a 10 year old with great close control can cut it with older people, but a 10 year old who defends who is smaller than everyone else at the older level is obviously useless

Not against adults. But against other 4 foot ten year olds. Ummm, yeah you can.

And the stupid thing about signing this kids with amazing mazing running skills it that.... usually they look so great because they have lucked out with a good center of gravity whilst the other kids are still being kids and falling over alot.

When the kid grows, his COG changes, which changes the way he will need to dribble etc.

Originally posted by kkas:

This has probably been asked before but why can't we sign players under 15 as it is happening more and more now with the likes of rhain davis, alex postolache and jpeto all of whom are 10 or under yet exhibit great skill.

bet you their knees will be knacked by 18.

Originally posted by Doruk:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by SWaRFeGa:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Nomis07:

Because the database would be huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge and I don't know how you would assign a score between 1 and 20 to a 10 year old or give them a PA. At least at 15 we can assume that what we see is what we get plus some because of training. At 10 it's all just a big fuss about nothing.

When was the last time we saw someone that age actually make it to the top?

Two words should stop this suggestion in it's tracks; Sonny Pike. Now there's a depressing story if ever I heard one.

Correctamundo.

The only players you hear about at the age of 10 years old are the ones who can dribble past the entire opposition and finish well (ie. the latest Autralian little thing Man Uts were interested in). You never hear of awesome 10 year old centre-backs. It's all a bit silly really. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

On a side note his name is Ali Eyigun and he is actually Turkish </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

On the same side note as yours, there is more than one player in the world than this Turkish guy I've never heard of. *Rolls eyes and that*

I don't believe that 10 year olds can ever be considered to be hugely talented enough to be involved in transfers etc its too young, and presents a risk to both the club and the development of the player in terms of non football-specific skills.

Its really the opposite extreme of the Xbox culture, where children are rushed through systems, and neither is good.

The game has 14 year old players anyway doesn't it? I've definitely seen 14 year old players, whether they were real or newgens I cannot remember.

Originally posted by azeri4life:

The game has 14 year old players anyway doesn't it? I've definitely seen 14 year old players, whether they were real or newgens I cannot remember.

Freddy Adu was in it since 14. Georginio (now known as Georginio Wijnaldum) was as well, and now Nicolas Millan is in there, from the age of 14.

Also, there was a youngster at Liverpool who was in there for about four years at about 14 or 15 each year. I think he moved on to Portsmouth. He's still in the game now, if I remember, but I forgot his name or nationality. It's not a common footballing-nation though, if I remember. Anyone have any idea who I might be talking about?

Aha! I remember! Supat Rungratsamee!

He's been in the series for ages, and he's only aged about one year in about five or six iterations of the game.

Originally posted by Dreaded Walrus:

Aha! I remember! Supat Rungratsamee!

He's been in the series for ages, and he's only aged about one year in about five or six iterations of the game.

He is real though and is Thai. In this part of the world one's age can be rather flexible. Heck my wife was born in 1982, 1981 and 1978!

Originally posted by phnompenhandy:

He is real though and is Thai. In this part of the world one's age can be rather flexible. Heck my wife was born in 1982, 1981 and 1978!

I'm betting she opts for the 1982 option

Rungratsamee did have the wrong age when he was first in the game and that's why he hasn't aged. I read a thing a while back about Eto'o possibly being older than he says he is as well. He claimed to have watched Roger Milla at a match in Cameroon years ago and said he was 7, but a journalist picked up that if that was true it would put him at 3 years older than his registration says.

Originally posted by Nomis07:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by phnompenhandy:

He is real though and is Thai. In this part of the world one's age can be rather flexible. Heck my wife was born in 1982, 1981 and 1978!

I'm betting she opts for the 1982 option

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

OT but .... she spent the last 6 years HONESTLY thinking she was born in 1982 and that she was 26 when we married. Only when I sat her down and did the sums did she realise she was born in 1981 and was 27.

I'm now looking for a young wife

On T - there have been a few issues with Africans of dubious age - weren't Nigeria thrown out of a tournament for having geriatric U18s not long back? It's only you anal Westerners that get worked up about accurate records yadda yadda ...

There was a bit of controversy about Freddy Adu allegedly being older than he says, too. I'm not sure anything got proved, though.

Not just foreign players, or footballers, either. I still say that Greg Oden is 35, and Lebron James was 25 when he came out of high school.

Now I did hear that rumor last year that Freddy Adu is allegedly somewhere in his mid-20's. All I know is, he sure didn't look 14 when he was in the MLS draft a few years ago...