Coventry City youngster James Maddison has said that he was not sure that would make it.
The Cov kid told the Coventry Obseerver's Steve Carpenter: “If you’d have said to me at the start of my two-year scholarship last July I’m not sure I would have played in the first team just yet. “I knew I had the potential but I wasn’t sure if I would make it.
“My debut came a little earlier than expected but I think that’s down to hard work as well.
“Whenever I was given the opportunity to train with the first team I think I did well. I was just myself, I didn’t want to change even though I was joining the adult pros.
“You set yourself personal goals. The goal back then was just to get signed at an early age – that was the best feeling ever.
“As you grow older you mature more and you set yourself new goals. So when I reached the age of eight or nine you want to sign a contract to keep you in the Academy.
“It goes off from there, you get your scholarship, then you sign your first professional contract – that’s the journey.
You look at the likes of Jordan Clarke and Conor Thomas and all the other young players that have come through, the likes of Ryan Haynes, Jack Finch and myself, all the coaches in the Academy right from the Academy manager right the way down to the Under-10’s development coaches, they’ve all had a massive part to play.
“They have to take the credit. Those Monday, Wednesday and Friday night sessions coming through the Academy are massive. It gives you that structure and that’s what gets you ready for football.
“When I was growing up Gary McSheffrey was a big player at the club and towards the latter stages of the Academy when I was about 15 maybe I saw the likes of Conor Thomas and Jordan Clarke come through and into the first team so that made it more realistic.
“Obviously McSheffrey was the Cov lad and a big player but when you see the likes of Conor, Jordan, Callum Wilson and Cyrus Christie, that are not too much older than you, it kind of sinks in that that could be me if I work hard.”
Full interview: Footy mad James Maddison living his childhood dream | Coventry Observer
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