Eastleigh look at more young stars

By Wendy Gee -

MANAGER Ian Baird says Eastleigh must play a "waiting game" this summer before assembling their new-look young squad.

The Spitfires have already come under fire from some fans after rumours suggested that none of the 56 trialists who attended the first assessment day for the new Player Development Programme had been invited back.

The reality, confirmed director of football Dave Malone, is that between six and ten will be reassessed early next month and that there are at least 20 others waiting for their chance to shine.

With 11 of last season's experienced Blue Square Bet South squad having left the Eastleigh ranks, striker Richard Gillespie is currently the only player contracted for next season, although the indications are that Danny Smith, Tom Jordan, Jamie Slabber, Gareth Barfoot and Ross Bottomley will stay.

Much of the rest of the squad will be made up of youngsters looking for a way back into the professional game after being released by Football League clubs.

And, according to ex-Saint Baird, many of the better ones will still be struggling to cope with being cast onto the scrap heap.

"There are a lot of released scholars and first and second-year pros out there, all of whom will have preconceived ideas about their futures and will have agents telling them they can do this and that for them," said the Spitfires boss.

"But the reality is that there are only so many jobs in football, so it's going to be a waiting game for Eastleigh.

"When a player is released by a pro club it's a real kick in the proverbials. Many of them have been with that club since the age of eight or nine and they've all dreamed of being a Premier League player earning loads of money.

"When they're not kept on, it comes as a massive disappointment and it takes them time to recover.

"What we want to do at Eastleigh is rehabilitate these players and help them get back into the League, but we're going to have to play a waiting game.

"The spell between the end of the season and the start of pre-season is what I call 'the silly season' because the reality for these players hasn't kicked in yet."

Young players from as far afield as Chelmsford, Bristol, Weymouth and London attended Eastleigh's first assessment day at the BTC Ground in Stoneham Lane.

"Kevin Braybrook, our newly appointed head of player recruitment, has done a great job in enticing such a large number of aspiring youngsters to the club and we have every confidence his efforts will be well rewarded prior to the new season," said Malone.

"We have identified six to ten players to be asked back for a further, more strenuous session, probably in early June, along with 20-plus others that have come forward since the first day.

"We have already agreed a deal in principle with one young player who has played first-team League football.