Coventry City Academy boss Richard Stevens has said that James Maddison needs minutes on the pitch.
Speaking to the Coventry Telegraph's Andy Turner about Maddison who was watched by a number of Premier League scouts last season, Stevens said: “I think James needs minutes on the pitch.
“He’s still an Under-18 going into Under-19. He’s had a real rise this year to getting himself noticed in the first team and the minute a young player makes his debut in the first team the world knows about it.
“The problem is sometimes kids go to bigger clubs and get lost in the system. The big clubs have lots and lots of good players. When we went to Man City in the FA Youth Cup we saw just what Category One football is about. On the night they were on another level.
“There are big Cat One clubs in this area that are losing their players to bigger Cat One clubs because the top clubs want to stockpile the best players in the country because with Financial Fair Play, English talent is currency.
“I don’t think you can place value on playing 100 times for your first team and that, for me, has got to be James’s goal or target for next year to be in and around the manager’s first team as often as possible.
“Whether that is going on and changing games or starting games and getting a foothold in it. That’s down to the manager’s preference at the time but I think for James’s development he needs to get minutes on the pitch – not at 18 and 21 level but at first team level.
“The danger of going to big clubs is that sometimes you end up going into their 21 group, or Under-19 group but you can’t put a price on first team football. It’s invaluable.”
More on this - http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/football/football-news/james-maddison-urged-stay-coventry-9400389