The Shrimps’ Academy has welcomed its intake of first year scholars ahead of the 2022/23 season.
Morecambe Football Club is delighted to welcome nine new first year scholars for the upcoming season, which will bring the squad up to 18 for 2022/23.
Nathan Mercer
A talented midfield player who is extremely comfortable in possession, Mercer has been with the Academy for around four seasons now and started in our FA Youth Cup First Round win over City of Liverpool last season.
Lewis Ballantyne
Ballantyne came into us at U15 level from the Barrow area. Previously at Preston North End, he is an all-round midfielder with a robust physique who can also fill in at the back.
Leyton Holden
Holden is one of our Warrington contingent who has already played quite a few games in the Youth Team as an U16. He is a towering centre half with fantastic physicality who enjoys a big tackle.
Jack McKean
Another of the Warrington boys, McKean was offered a scholar two seasons early due to his progress within our Academy. He plays primarily as an attacking midfielder who likes to play with a bit of flair and think outside the box.
Matty Williams
The last of our Warrington boys, Williams came into us at the back end of the U15s. He is a left winger who catches the eye with his blistering pace and work ethic out of possession.
Vinnie Wright
A pacy defender who also came into us at U15 level, Wright is a left footer who is comfortable at both left back and centre half, and is full of pace and tenacity.
Lennon Dobson
Dobson has been with us around four years and has shown a lot of growth physically over the last 12 months with lots more to grow. He is a very intelligent midfielder who reads the game well and has a varied passing range.
Saul Fox
Fox arrived quite late on in terms of the Academy, in the second half of the U16s season. He is a tall, rangy striker who works the line extremely well.
Andrew Evans
Evans was another late signing via our recruitment in the North East. Many a Geordie has made their way through the Youth Team with good success and we hope the same in this case. He is a committed centre half who loves to defend.
Speaking following the completion of the first year scholar intake, Academy Head of Coaching, Neil Wainwright, said: “We want to send a big Morecambe FC welcome to our new scholars.
“The majority have been with us for a few years, yet it can be a huge culture shock to move away from home to play football full time and can be a difficult transition for the boys coming straight from finishing school.
“We normally give them a taste of what they can expect in school holidays in their U16 season, so they’re not coming in blind and it ending up too much for them.
“The first month has gone really well for them and we’ve been really happy with how they’ve taken to the rigours of a full-time pre-season programme, performances in games have been really pleasing and they’re all itching to get going with the league season.
“We have tried to keep things fresh and different for the players in pre-season and this is a really important area to concentrate on throughout the season, to give the squad different challenges and a fresh, varied training and games programme.
“In our experience, the routine and the living away from home can make things difficult for some boys and this is something we try and minimise as much as possible with new initiatives whenever we can.”