Latics' Academy Manager Gregor Rioch pens his own column as he reflects on a special 2021 and outlines his exciting plans for the new year

Academy Review | Gregor Rioch
The Academy Manager reflects on a special 2021 and outlines his exciting plans for the new year
Rioch: "It's been really refreshing and rewarding to see the Football Club thriving once again, at one stage we were simply trying to survive each day so our current position is a special feeling."

Firstly, I hope everyone has had a fantastic Christmas and enjoyed their time with their family, and I wish everyone the very best of luck for 2022.

Over the last 12 months, we've faced some enormous challenges as a Football Club, through battling administration and the coronavirus pandemic, though we've come through collectively with flying colours and have got a lot to be immensely proud of.

It's been really refreshing and rewarding to see the Football Club thriving once again, at one stage we were simply trying to survive each day so our current position is a special feeling. I'm so proud to see that Wigan Athletic are on the rise again both on and off the field, and that is testament to the outstanding work of our Chief Executive, Mal Brannigan and the Phoenix 2021 Limited ownership.

From an Academy perspective, 2021 has been a special year and hugely rewarding for the Academy staff because all the hard work that has gone on over the years has become fully worthwhile. Our Academy graduates made 224 appearances for the first team over 51 games in the 2020/21 campaign. This season, we’ve seen the debuts of seven academy graduates and had over 75 appearances from 14 players.

The Academy players have handled themselves well in the first-team environment and have brought a lot of pride to not just our Academy staff but our supporters too. They give real inspiration and motivation to our other young prospects and instIll the belief that they can be next.

As the Academy Manager, I was also extremely delighted to see Callum Lang and Thelo Aasgaard commit their long-term futures to Wigan Athletic. Over the last 18 months, we've had young players depart sooner than we would have liked due to circumstances out of our control, so it's a great statement of intent to tie down two of the best young talents the Academy has produced.

We are delighted to have recruited a number of new members of staff across each department at the Academy since the start of the season and it's a very exciting time for us. We've had real stability in the staff for a good decade and now we've got some excellent new additions who have come in with energy and given us a fresh impetus at Stadium Way. I'm really looking forward to seeing what the future holds at the Academy and I feel like we are slowly getting back to where we were prior to administration.

We have huge plans in the New Year to improve the academy programme. Personally, I want to keep learning and continue to set high standards and demands of all the staff and integrate our new staff into our Academy and football family.

Recruitment is a huge part of what we do and our Head of Academy Recruitment Kenny Williams has been planning a strategy to improve recruitment of players of all ages. Player Care is really important to us too and we will continue to work with our players and parents.

Our aim is to continue links with all departments at the Football Club and the Community Trust to keep stretching the players out of their comfort zone while in safe environments. Players such as Scott Smith have really embraced this and in Scott’s case, he has become one of the finest young men you can ever wish to meet. By collaborating and forming links with other departments, it can really contribute to the personal development of our players.

The #BELIEVE FansFund has been a hugely exciting and unprecedented initiative and I have been blown away by the support that we have received at the Academy. It’s a real opportunity to connect with the Football Club, and not only the Football Club as a whole, but the people within it. It’s been an incredible initiative that has really brought that togetherness across the Football Club and we’re really proud of it. I think it’s a great thing that supporters can have an influence on our Club in the way that they are doing.

The #BELIEVE FansFund will allow us to do things that we haven’t been able to do before and we’re looking forward to making some big announcements in the New Year. We will inform our FansFund members as soon as we can and there is no doubt that it will have a great impact and influence on what we will do here at the Academy.

The Academy is a focal point of the Football Club, and it’s gained a fantastic reputation over the last few years of producing good footballers and good people, and the FansFund will help us take it onto another dimension. The fact that the supporters love seeing one of their own come through the Academy and can have an added input into the development of our young players can only make it stronger for the area and the people of Wigan.

I really hope that 2022 can be another special year for the Wigan Athletic Academy, and with the support of the staff, the Board, the players and the fans, I’m sure it will be a good one!

Gregor

Gregor Rioch | "It's been really refreshing and rewarding to see the Football Club thriving again."