The best way to develop youngsters?

What actually is the best way to develop a youngster you believe to have good potential? Throw him straight into the first-team? Let him play in the reserve's with the occasional call to play in cup competitions? Give him the odd start with the first team here and there? Or any other way?

I find that giving them first team games in a team where they won't be outplayed is good. So maybe sending them out on loan to a club that will give them first team football in maybe league 1 or something like that.

I'm not sure there is an "actual" best way. You should just do what you think is right as manager.

I have high potential players out on loan (always accepting loan offers stating "would become valuable members of first team. Reject offers to "act as cover")

I also have high potential players going straight in my first-team.

This is ok for my Kilmarnock squad. Real Madrid might be a different story completely.

Generally I like to loan players out until their star ratings are high enough to satisfy me.

If they don't perform or grow as you were hoping - try to sell them on with a 30%+ transfer proft clause.

There isnt a "best way", although there are many different and successful ways...

If I find a young star I stick him in the U18s for a season, let him get the hang of the English game (if foreign) and start to perform well consistently. This also also builds their teamwork.

I look at how he has performed, then put him in the reserves.

Then I evaluate whether his performances can get him into the starting 11, and if not, i send him out on loan for the season.

I Then evaluate him and how his loans went, and i bring him into the first team if he is good enough, if not, i loan him out again.

If he still isn't good enough, i transfer him to a club where he will get regular first team football, or send him on loan with a view to a permanent move.

I find this is the best way of developing a young star from the age of 16. If they are 17 - 19, i just skip the earlier parts of the process occasionally.

If he's got really got potential say 3 stars and above then from 17-19, league cup games. Then from 19 onwards, include him in first team games. If not, then loan him out to a team he's gonna get regular football in for 1 or 2 seasons. The main idea really is that getting first team games is the surest way to develop a young talent.

League One or above is good for a young player who won't get in a Premiership side. I presume you should just lower the leagues by one for every league below that you are playing.

Cheers for the replies lads.

As it was stated above, there's no definite right way to go about it. I try to get my players first team football somewhere by the age of 18, usually in the squad. It's a bit easier for me, as I'm a firm believer in squad rotation, so I put usually one or two promising youngsters in for every game that isn't incredibly important. I also try to use domestic cups to rest my first team stars, and blood in some of my fringe players.

I think it depends on the player. Loaning a player out is always the best option I think, he will grow a lot more playing as a starter at another club than as a rotation player or a reserves squad player. But only loan players to clubs from competitions that you have loaded in the game, else he won't improve. And make sures he's in the starting 11.

Whenever I loan a player I try to get him to a team where he would be "A valuable member of the first team,"

More games he gets the better.

If they're not good enough to be a squad player then you should loan them. Make sure they'll be a starter at a team in an active league. The team has to be one of the better teams, somewhere you think he will do well. For example, there's no point sending a striker to a team that can't set up chances for him. Also try to send the youngsters to teams with good training facilities. Always add "can be recalled" so you can call them back if they're struggling or doing too well. I'm pretty sure they have to get high 6- low 7 to get a significant attribute bonus. If it's too high then the league is too easy so you should call him back and see if you can get him into a stronger active league.

Tutoring is also very important. Professionals make the best tutors, but make sure that the tutor is a solid player, not just a professional with terrible other hidden attributes. A player that plays well more often than not/doesn't get into trouble/etc.

Before adopting this approach I found it hard improving 18yo's who had full silver or half a star for CA and 3 stars or more for PA. Now I can get them to reach their full potential.

Oh and one more thing. Tutoring can be huge boost to a player's development. If you can get the right player to tutor the young talent, his development could really be boosted. I'm not sure how to look for the right tutor but I'm sure it's somewhere in the forums.