JRedknapp11
11 Aug 2002, 08:26 PM
FORMER England international and Newcastle United academy assistant Peter Beardsley is on the lookout for fresh Australian talent as he prepares his young side for the cut and thrust of Premier League football.
Beardsley will keep a keen eye on the Australs, who take on the Netherlands' Ajax in the early match at Hindmarsh Stadium as the Festival Cup's Group B kicks off at 1pm today.
Newcastle takes on Germany's Bayern Munich in the later match from 3.30pm.
"We're always on the lookout for good players and if they're better than what we have then we might look at them," Beardsley said.
Beardsley had a remarkable long and successful career with England, Liverpool and Everton and is hopeful Newcastle United's Festival Cup jaunt might produce players in readiness for Newcastle's Premier League side.
"We haven't got the same reputation as Ajax in terms of the youth system but it's a great tournament," he said of the Festival Cup.
"We'd all like to win it but it's great for the development of the boys in terms of the future.
"We're now trying to get the (Newcastle) academy on the map.
"All the boys want to play in a competition like this and it's fantastic that we're playing against some of the best teams of the world.
"We hope all the boys play first team football but realistically we think that about four or five can go on to make the first team."
Juventus coach Gianpiero Gasperini said the Festival Cup was a bonus for the future of Italian football.
"We don't have too many chances to see and compare our progress against other countries," Gasperini said.
"Juventus has traditionally in the past always bought players already made and never looked for first team players in the youth divisions but the mentality has changed.
"Juventus management realises that it's important for big clubs to create new players at home in the youth division.
"Our philosophy is to create players for the first team at 20 and 21 years of age and after they have experienced playing with other clubs.
"There was a period in which it was very important to have stars from abroad and now the Italian Football Federation is again closing the borders and we can work on younger players and we're going back to developing Italian football."
Beardsley will keep a keen eye on the Australs, who take on the Netherlands' Ajax in the early match at Hindmarsh Stadium as the Festival Cup's Group B kicks off at 1pm today.
Newcastle takes on Germany's Bayern Munich in the later match from 3.30pm.
"We're always on the lookout for good players and if they're better than what we have then we might look at them," Beardsley said.
Beardsley had a remarkable long and successful career with England, Liverpool and Everton and is hopeful Newcastle United's Festival Cup jaunt might produce players in readiness for Newcastle's Premier League side.
"We haven't got the same reputation as Ajax in terms of the youth system but it's a great tournament," he said of the Festival Cup.
"We'd all like to win it but it's great for the development of the boys in terms of the future.
"We're now trying to get the (Newcastle) academy on the map.
"All the boys want to play in a competition like this and it's fantastic that we're playing against some of the best teams of the world.
"We hope all the boys play first team football but realistically we think that about four or five can go on to make the first team."
Juventus coach Gianpiero Gasperini said the Festival Cup was a bonus for the future of Italian football.
"We don't have too many chances to see and compare our progress against other countries," Gasperini said.
"Juventus has traditionally in the past always bought players already made and never looked for first team players in the youth divisions but the mentality has changed.
"Juventus management realises that it's important for big clubs to create new players at home in the youth division.
"Our philosophy is to create players for the first team at 20 and 21 years of age and after they have experienced playing with other clubs.
"There was a period in which it was very important to have stars from abroad and now the Italian Football Federation is again closing the borders and we can work on younger players and we're going back to developing Italian football."