Sam Curtis D Peterborough Utd (loan from Sheffield Utd) b.2005

[JR89]

1723644382606189016

Was excellent again today in what will very likely be his final game in the LOI. Think Jon Daly himself talked about it recently. Won't be short of options come next month when he can officially sign for a club in the UK.

[Eirambler]

Seems like there's two main possibilities with Sam. One is that he'll be a defensive lynchpin for the national team for a decade or more and win 60+ caps. The other is that he's possibly not really dynamic enough to be a top level full back and not big enough to be a standout centre back - and that's a position we look stacked in for the next 10 years anyway, with or without him. So he ends up being a slightly better version of Lee O'Connor and doesn't make a huge impact on the senior team.

Will be interesting to see what road he goes down next - Premier League academy or a lower tier team where he'll be aiming to play first team football again next year.

[JR89]

Brighton can't have all the Irish players but hopefully they've been tracking the lad. They've done a good job getting Moran ready for senior football when no other club would touch him because of his size and O'Mahony seems to have come on leaps and bounds since joining them in January.

They've also got the added bonus of Bloom owning one of the top clubs in Belgium if they feel that route is better for his development than a loan in the EFL.

[Razors left peg]

Would he be better off going to Championship club where he has chance of going straight into 1st team? After playing so much 1st team football in last couple years he could struggle with being put into youth teams now

[CraftyToePoke]

If the big names want him, take the money but with a loan agreed to somewhere he will continue playing as part of it ?

[Razors left peg]

If the big names want him, take the money but with a loan agreed to somewhere he will continue playing as part of it ?

Maybe, I just think its an interesting one. Melia might have the same issue in a couple years. When you've played so much mens football it might be difficult enough to adjust mentally to going back to youth football, even if its at an incredibly high level!

[Olé Olé]

He's had such a breadth of senior football already and it is incomparable to any other lads that have gone across at around 16 or 17. As an example, Brighton would have dropped Mark O'Mahony, Evan Ferguson, James Furlong and Andrew Moran into underage football after those lads had a bit of exposure to LOI but none had anything like the extent that Curtis has (for a variety of reasons of course!).

You'd be imagining that a Brighton or Man City or suchlike would acknowledge this and loan him to a sister club in Belgium as it would represent a step up on LOI and surely better for a lad his age than League One.

[Razors left peg]

You'd be imagining that a Brighton or Man City or suchlike would acknowledge this and loan him to a sister club in Belgium as it would represent a step up on LOI and surely better for a lad his age than League One.

Yeah I think L1 would be too low which is why I wondered about a Championship club. Will be interesting to see

[Eirambler]

Brighton can't have all the Irish players but hopefully they've been tracking the lad. They've done a good job getting Moran ready for senior football when no other club would touch him because of his size and O'Mahony seems to have come on leaps and bounds since joining them in January.

They've also got the added bonus of Bloom owning one of the top clubs in Belgium if they feel that route is better for his development than a loan in the EFL.

I'd actually be content enough to just let Brighton have all the Irish players. All the highly rated ones anyway. Don't think there's a better overseas club they could develop at and it must be reassuring for them going over to find so many Irish lads there when they arrive.

[seanfhear]

I'd actually be content enough to just let Brighton have all the Irish players. All the highly rated ones anyway. Don't think there's a better overseas club they could develop at and it must be reassuring for them going over to find so many Irish lads there when they arrive.There must be a lot of clubs looking at what Brighton are doing with young players at the moment, and thinking ~ ~ That's working very very very well.

[JR89]

I'd actually be content enough to just let Brighton have all the Irish players. All the highly rated ones anyway. Don't think there's a better overseas club they could develop at and it must be reassuring for them going over to find so many Irish lads there when they arrive.

I'm all for Brighton taking our best young players and hopefully they are in for him. Probably the best PL club a young player could join atm. Ferguson is a beast and likely would have made it no matter where he went but the work they've put in with Andy Moran especially I'd be confident they'd do a good job with Curtis.

[Jolly Red Giant]

There must be a lot of clubs looking at what Brighton are doing with young players at the moment, and thinking ~ ~ That's working very very very well.
Brighton have a very good academy set-up and do have several prospects that have a lot of potential.

However, it is still worth noting that of the current squad there are only three players of note that were at Brighton before their 18th birthday - Lewis Dunk, Evan Ferguson and Solly March. What they appear to be exceptional at is taking players in the 18-21 range with potential and developing them into quality starters - MacAllister, Sanchez, Caicedo, Van Hecke are examples.

[JR89]

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Would be a good move for Curtis.

[tetsujin1979]

Move confirmed - signed a contract until 2027
https://www.sufc.co.uk/news/2024/january/25/exciting-youngster-joins/

[Eirambler]

Not beyond possibility that he gets Premier League minutes this season. Ryan One, who is younger than him and signed from Hamilton in the summer got a run out recently. Sheffield United obviously heading for the Championship in May though which is likely no harm at all from his point of view.

[tetsujin1979]

Named as a sub for Sheffield Unitedc against Wolves today
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[liamoo11]

Named as a sub for Sheffield Unitedc against Wolves today
1761730276948840756

Fair play to him

[Eirambler]

Not beyond possibility that he gets Premier League minutes this season. Ryan One, who is younger than him and signed from Hamilton in the summer got a run out recently. Sheffield United obviously heading for the Championship in May though which is likely no harm at all from his point of view.

And he's on! Well done to him.

[tetsujin1979]

1789323838855033123

[John83]

I think the names on that list suggest it might be advisable not to get too excited over that stat. It's certainly better to have them than not, that said.

[Olé Olé]

I think the names on that list suggest it might be advisable not to get too excited over that stat. It's certainly better to have them than not, that said.

I think that the Premiership has improved a significant amount in the 12 years.

[pineapple stu]

There's still a propensity to give random teenagers games in dead games in fairness. They have to have them in the squad; they may as well try boost their resale value.

I have never heard of Michael Harriman! Wiki says he's now (maybe) at AFC Rushden & Diamonds, who were relegated from the seventh tier this year.

[tetsujin1979]

Started at QPR
https://foot.ie/threads/179676-Michael-Harriman

[Eirambler]

Yes I'd be on the fence on Curtis based of what I've seen so far, he could win 50 caps or be the next Lee O'Connor as things stand. But still, I'm sure there are loads of teenage players at Sheffield United and he's one of the few making the bench every week and now getting a run out. So he's doing something right anyway.

[John83]

I think that the Premiership has improved a significant amount in the 12 years.
It definitely has, as the money has continued to pour in, but the funnel of decent youth players to successful pros is just that: a funnel. That was the cream of the crop for us in 2012; some of them just withered on the vine.

[JR89]

I know Will Keane now plays for us but back then he was playing international football with England.

[Olé Olé]

Interesting (but natural in the context) that 3 have double digits games for LOI sides - Murphy, O'Mahony and Curtis. Ferguson only a handful of games having left much younger. Fraser English born.

Hindsight is 20:20 but I definitely feel like there is more potential in this 5 than the other 5.

I don't think Forde or Harriman was ever heavily touted.

Carruthers was probably and has plenty under 21 caps for us but his commitment and discipline have and continue to blight him - I see he's in National League South at present and was celebrating a goal by gripping the flab on his stomach recently.

Keane wasn't with us at the time.

Doherty has had a long top flight career but wasn't he 18 moving to England and without any top flight games in LOI?

As I said hindsight is 20:20, but the gap is 12 years and that has to demonstrate something positive.

[liamoo11]

Interesting (but natural in the context) that 3 have double digits games for LOI sides - Murphy, O'Mahony and Curtis. Ferguson only a handful of games having left much younger. Fraser English born.

Hindsight is 20:20 but I definitely feel like there is more potential in this 5 than the other 5.

I don't think Forde or Harriman was ever heavily touted.

Carruthers was probably and has plenty under 21 caps for us but his commitment and discipline have and continue to blight him - I see he's in National League South at present and was celebrating a goal by gripping the flab on his stomach recently.

Keane wasn't with us at the time.

Doherty has had a long top flight career but wasn't he 18 moving to England and without any top flight games in LOI?

As I said hindsight is 20:20, but the gap is 12 years and that has to demonstrate something positive.

If any of them were offered as good a career as doherty they should take it. He had been a very good professional for 13 or 14 years and has a few more years at championship level in him I'd say

[Olé Olé]

If any of them were offered as good a career as doherty they should take it. He had been a very good professional for 13 or 14 years and has a few more years at championship level in him I'd say

Agreed on that.

[Eirambler]

Fair to say that if Sam Curtis is going to be something of a guinea pig for the staying at home until 18 approach in comparison to the move to the continent approach taken by many others post Brexit, he might not be off to a good start:

https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/premier-league/sheffield-united-boss-warns-that-irish-teen-sam-curtis-must-get-up-to-speed/a1267615093.html

I saw a post on their forum saying that he initially struggled to adapt to the step up from the football he was playing in Ireland to the Premier League 2.

[John83]

Maybe that's not so suprising. Fitness alone would be a big step up. PL2 is full of great players building fitness, and quality young players trying to prove themselves. I expect a lot of PL academy players find it a very tough step up. That's not to say how weak the LoI isn't a major handicap for player development, but in the short term having a pipeline where a reasonable number of players get transferred from the LoI as adults and make it as pros in England (or any reputable league) is good enough. It'll feed money into the league, make LoI clubs a viable career step, and encourage clubs to invest in their youth development.

[Olé Olé]

Message is quite clear. Don't take a summer off.

[CraftyToePoke]

Fair to say that if Sam Curtis is going to be something of a guinea pig for the staying at home until 18 approach in comparison to the move to the continent approach taken by many others post Brexit, he might not be off to a good start:

https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/premier-league/sheffield-united-boss-warns-that-irish-teen-sam-curtis-must-get-up-to-speed/a1267615093.html

I saw a post on their forum saying that he initially struggled to adapt to the step up from the football he was playing in Ireland to the Premier League 2.

Strange comments from a manager who after all saw fit to put him in at that level so soon after joining the club. Strange comment from you, to construe that as him not being off to a good start. What more can he have done, at this point ? First team appearance at that level of club is no given at all.

I wouldn't attach too much value to the singular post you saw somewhere saying he struggled at PL2. It's one opinion, that's all it is. I remember hundreds of posters on the Leicester forum back in the day wondering why they had wasted a million quid on this Vardy kid. They were all wrong. He did ok in the end.

I would observe, this is similar to Moyes on Coleman way back, if any of you remember ? He was constantly harsh and critical, constantly referencing the standard he'd come from, the ground he had to make up & doubtlessly it was true & its probably true again of Curtis. Looking back, he was doing it because he knew there was an unbelievable player to be had if handled well. Same again would be lovely.

[Eirambler]

I don't know about that, when you make your first appearance and the managers comment afterwards includes the phrase "it wasn't by any means an accomplished debut", that probably suggests he has a lot of catching up to do. Hopefully he can do it.

[CraftyToePoke]

I don't know about that, when you make your first appearance and the managers comment afterwards includes the phrase "it wasn't by any means an accomplished debut", that probably suggests he has a lot of catching up to do. Hopefully he can do it.

Still he watches him every day against players at that level & gave him the debut. He will have catching up to do and he might not cover the ground, yesterday may be as good as it gets. But if his manager is unhappy, I don't see his choice of words as being great, threw him under the bus a bit & didn't have to, could have handled it very differently, he signed & picked him after all.

[nigel-harps1954]

To be fair, he went to Sheffield without a preseason. It was always going to take him time to get up to speed.

There aren't many lads out there who have over 60 senior appearances before they turn 18 and already an established under-21 international player. The fact he's already made his first team debut is phenomenal at all.

[Razors left peg]

He's 18, makes Premiership debut... career is obviously over

[tetsujin1979]

Fair to say that if Sam Curtis is going to be something of a guinea pig for the staying at home until 18 approach in comparison to the move to the continent approach taken by many others post Brexit, he might not be off to a good start:

https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/premier-league/sheffield-united-boss-warns-that-irish-teen-sam-curtis-must-get-up-to-speed/a1267615093.html

I saw a post on their forum saying that he initially struggled to adapt to the step up from the football he was playing in Ireland to the Premier League 2.
Sheffield United don't have-a team in PL2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023%E2%80%9324_Professional_U21_Development_Leagu e

Their U21 side play in the Professional Development League. They won the title just last week, with Curtis getting a goal in a 5-0 win against Crewe Alexandra
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[Eirambler]

He's 18, makes Premiership debut... career is obviously over

Absolutely nobody has said that. But it does appear that he was well off the pace and has a lot of catching up to do. Hopefully he can do that now and make up in the areas he has fallen behind on.

[nigel-harps1954]

Absolutely nobody has said that. But it does appear that he was well off the pace and has a lot of catching up to do. Hopefully he can do that now and make up in the areas he has fallen behind on.

He is 18 years old.

[Razors left peg]

Absolutely nobody has said that. But it does appear that he was well off the pace and has a lot of catching up to do. Hopefully he can do that now and make up in the areas he has fallen behind on.

Sure if he's even struggling to make an impact in PL2 he's obviously not good enough.... never mind that his team don't play in that league, if he was good enough he'd be making an impact!!!

[JR89]

His team will go down as one of the worst teams to ever play in the Premier League but feels the need to publicly put down a kid making his debut. Great man management from Wilder. Could have talked with Curtis in private when you consider how Sheffield United have stunk out the PL this season.

[JR89]

Linked with a loan move to Peterborough United.

[Razors left peg]

I think its a disappointment he wont be starting in the Championship this season. Going to L1 wouldnt have been the plan Im sure when he moved over last season.

[CraftyToePoke]

Linked with a loan move to Peterborough United.

Confirmed now, season long loan.

[pineapple stu]

Looks a good move if he gets regular games. I'm sure Crafty can report back in due course?

[CraftyToePoke]

Looks a good move if he gets regular games. I'm sure Crafty can report back in due course?

Cian Hayes is there too, signed in the summer and a dual Fenian sounding chap from the north, so yeah I'll swing down and bring the news, until it gets cold and the CL comes on midweek anyway.

[seanfhear]

Cian Hayes is there too, signed in the summer and a dual Fenian sounding chap from the north, so yeah I'll swing down and bring the news, until it gets cold and the CL comes on midweek anyway.
Thank-you for your service.

[CraftyToePoke]

I went along to Peterborough / Huddersfield today, mainly in the hope Curtis would start and having been given the two shirt, he did.
Started RB in a four.

His first real involvement was a really horrible chipped panicked pass to him by a midfielder trying to break who had run into a blind alley and got turned round. He was inside his own penalty area and by the time it reached his chest, he had two Huddersfield players really close and his first touch had to be perfect, it was and he turned the play away from goal, kept the ball and edged toward the sideline, no support and two players on him, kept really good close control until one of them made contact, he went down and the ref gave the free. The stadium erupted in applause and he had got his first impression moment spot on. It was a really poor pass.

After that he tracked a run right across the box to his far post, the ball arrived at the player he was tracking and he blocked what was probably a certain goal, it was about seven yards out. In between these moments he was good on the ball, playing good forward passes which were getting his side up the field and he hit one really admirable diagonal right into the chest of his opposite side midfielder. Everything was going well and then this happened

He got left one on one with his winger, no players around them and plenty space down either side of him, the winger was left footed and likely to go on his outside, and he did & when he did Curtis got scorched, my opinion without the benefit of replays is he stood facing the winger square on and wasn't prepared for the guy going either side. Anyway, the guy had time for a cup of tea before putting the cross in, three in the middle and he missed them all, still 0-0.

Huddersfield now looked to load that flank and get at him, soon after they got another cross away from that side, he was five yards from it and didn't look to close it. Five minutes later he watched another cross go in from his position & this time it was 0-1. Soon after it was 0-2 but this one wasn't on him at all.

The remainder of the half, I noticed he didn't continue to seek the higher risk forward pass, he went square across the back four and the HT whistle was a welcome one. Early second half his side looked like they might fold and take a hiding, it was all Huddersfield, he made another goal saving challenge inside the six yard box and conceded two back post corners under severe pressure, he stood up well to be fair.

On 58 minutes he went in for a challenge and stayed down, held his leg up as though looking for cramp help, then got up and was getting into position for the throw when the board went up with his number, his day was done. He got applause as he walked by the home end but it was more sympathetic for a kid who'd had his eyes opened kinda applause.

He did certain things very well, on the ball he was really impressive and he only gave it away once that I recall. As I've said, several interventions which showed good instincts, but the crosses cannot be that easy, your RB can't have a rep for coughing up free crosses & in L1 teams will look to cross much more than they will try to play through you.

To add some context here, today he was part of a completely new back four, not ideal for a youngsters first loan at all. The CB playing next to him is a 22 year old who is probably squad filler, hasn't broken through at all and played because a signing hasn't been completed during the week and another signing is injured, he also had a really poor game.

In front of him was a really attack minded winger who didn't overburden himself helping out. A lot of the more experienced players, some given better deals in summer to keep them, Randall / Collins particularly who were both excellent last season, were both awful today. A nineteen year old Man City midfielder on loan who the club chased all summer was also poor.

Chris Conn Clarke ( Antrim ) was a heralded signing, had his choice of L1 and some Championship clubs, he did nothing and his two sights of goal resulted in weak finishes into the keepers hands. Cian Hayes came on midway through the second half and did very little, sliced one shot more than the width of the goals wide. He also looks like he's twelve.

So plenty others had bad days, but Curtis will have to tune in positionally to those crosses and stop them going in & he needs to do that quickly. Otherwise he was ok out there.

[elatedscum]

I do think of all the deficiencies a fullback can have in his game, that’s one of the easiest to coach once it’s been identified as a weakness