It’s the European U21 Championship and the FMSB Academy is well represented with all but one player traveling with the England squad, with Alistair Paterson only missing out through injury. Let’s see how they got on.

England Vs. Russia

Phil Taylor started this tie on left wing and James Bishop was named on the bench, however there was no place in the squad for Edwards or Luck. Taylor had the first shot of the game following an excellent through ball from Kieran Gibbs, however he fired straight at the ‘keeper from the edge of the box. Russia had the better of the first half, controlling possession and striking the woodwork on three occasions, however England emerged a different side after half time and bossed the game. They eventually took the lead when Danny Welbeck slotted home from 12 yards. Welbeck then hit a post before, in the 86th minute, a spectacular through ball from within his own half from Taylor saw Welbeck round the ‘keeper to wrap up the points. Taylor ended the match with a rating of 7.4.

Poland Vs. England

Phil Taylor once again started on the left flank. Will Luck made his first appearance of the tournament starting on the right wing, wearing his preferred number 14 shirt. James Bishop was once again named on the bench, however there was no place for Owen Edwards in the squad. Welbeck thought he’d given England the lead after 14 minutes, however he was ruled off side and the goal was chalked off. After 21 minutes Luck found himself unmarked in the box following some brilliant interplay Sturridge and Lansbury and he calmly slotted home to give England the lead. Welbeck added a second 12 minutes later and England went in two goals to the good at half time. James Bishop replaced Kyle Walker after 61 minutes and 8 minutes later Poland pulled one back. England however managed to hold on and secure qualification for the next round with a game to spare. Phil Taylor finished the game with a rating of 7.1, Luck with a rating of 7.3 and James Bishop with a rating of 6.4.

Turkey Vs. England

Phil Taylor was handed a start for the third game in a row, this time at left back. Both Will Luck and James Bishop were named among the substitutes but Edwards missed out once more. An even first half ended 1-0 with Welbeck once again getting his name on the scoresheet. James Bishop replaced the injured Scott Canavan after 61 minutes, slotting in as a central midfielder. A dull second half was played out with neither team having anything to play for and at full time the score still stood at 1-0, meaning England finished top of the group with Poland progressing in second place, earning them a semi final tie against Holland. Phil Taylor ended the match with a rating of 7.5 and James Bishop earned a rating of 6.8 for his brief cameo appearance.

Holland Vs. England

Phil Taylor once again started at left back and was named captain of the side for the first time. Taylor was expected to swap positions with Kieran Gibbs, starting on the left wing, throughout the game. Will Luck was given his second start of the tournament, replacing the free scoring Danny Welbeck. Neither Bishop or Edwards were named on the bench. England took the lead in the 26th minute after good tackling by Luck who then rounded another Dutch defender before powering home from just inside the penalty area. Luck slotted home his second of the game, and third of the tournament, slotting home from 8 yards out having beaten his man after being fed the ball from Fabian Delph. England held out for the duration of the second half, however there were scares in the 80th and 84th minutes when the Dutch hit the bar and post. The Netherlands finally got the goal their pressure deserved with an outstanding 25 yard pile driver from Bas Dost in the 89th minute however it was too little too late and England progressed to the final where they were to meet the holders Spain. Phil Taylor ended the match with a rating of 6.1 and Will Luck ended with a rating of 8.8 and picked up the man of the match award for his two goal haul.

England Vs. Spain

Phil Taylor slotted into the starting XI at left back once more, however he was not to continue wearing the captains arm band. Despite his impressive performance against the Dutch, Luck was dropped to the bench. Bishop was once more named as a substitute and Edwards missed out, meaning he failed to play a single minute of football throughout the tournament. A tense first half ended goalless. Will Luck was brought on at half time for the disappointing Daniel Sturridge and Jordan Spence, who had been captain, was also substituted meaning Taylor wore the armband once more. James Bishop then entered the fray after 57 minutes and came close to setting up a wonder goal, threading the ball to Luck who carried the ball from the half way line only to see his effort rebound off the inside of the post. Bishop then felt he had been fouled in the penalty area on the 64th minute but the referee failed to see an infringement. Spain went on to break English hearts, scoring in the 91st minute from what appeared to be an offside position, with their first shot on target of the game. Taylor picked up a warning for his protestations. Taylor finished the game with a rating of 7.3, Luck with a disappointing rating of only 5.8 and Bishop with a rating of 6.6.

Will Luck finished second top scorer with his 3 goals and also had the highest rating of all the FMSB graduates, averaging 7.30 throughout the tournament. Phil Taylor finished the tournament with a rating of 7.08 and James Bishop received an average rating of 6.60. Owen Edwards failed to play a game.

The 2010/11 season has drawn to a close and it’s time to see how the academy graduates and their respective teams fared.

James Bishop made a total of 11 appearances in the league, with all but one coming as a substitute for Chelsea. In addition to this, Bishop played 6 games in the Europe. Bishop was also part of the Chelsea Reserves team that finished the season as Group 1 winners. Chelsea finished the season a distant fourth, 22 points of champions Manchester City. The had more success in Europe however, winning the Europa League with a 3-0 final victory over Shakhtar. Bishop played in the England U21 4-1 home victory over Georgia in the qualifiers for the European U21 Champinoships. He has been called up to the England U21 squad for the European U21 Championship in Germany this summer. James has been placed on the loan list for next season with Chelsea hoping to send the defender to a lower Premier League team.

Owen Edwards made a total of 19 league appearances for Nottingham Forest despite being ruled out for over 4 months with a hamstring injury. He also set up four goals. Forest finished the season in 15th, 8 points clear of the drop. His return to form has alerted both Manchester United and Newcastle United who may be tempted to bid for the promising full back should he opt to leave the City Ground this summer. He has been called up to the England U21 squad for the European U21 Championship in Germany this summer.

Will Luck ended the season with 3 league appearances for the Red Devils, scoring his first and only goal for the club in a 2-0 victory over Hull. Manchester United finished the season as runners up in the league, 9 points behind their arch rivals. They were also runners up in the Champions League Final, losing 2-1 to Barcelona. Luck played and scored in the England U21 4-1 home victory over Georgia in the qualifiers for the European U21 Champinoships. He has also been called up to the England U21 squad for the European U21 Championship in Germany this summer.

Alistair Paterson missed the later stages of the season with a broken toe, ruling him out for months, meaning he will miss out on the European U21 Championship. Despite his injury he managed 23 league appearances, all as a starter, contributing 1 goal and 5 assists. Sheffield United struggled on their return to the top flight, finishing bottom with 28 points. This has led to Alistair Paterson being placed on the transfer list as the club look to reduce their wage bill with the club demanding that the recoup the £2.7million they paid Leicester at the outset of the season.

Phil Taylor made 35 appearances for Fulham, scoring 8, setting up 8 and receiving 4 man of the match awards. He was awarded the Coca-Cola Championship Young Player of the Month in both September and January. He has once again been placed on the loan list by Arsenal, however both Liverpool and Hoffenheim are believed to be considering an approach for the full back this summer. Fulham secured a swift return to the Premier League, finishing the season 2nd with 94 points. Taylor played in the England U21 4-1 home victory over Georgia in the qualifiers for the European U21 Champinoships.He has been called up to the England U21 squad for the European U21 Championship in Germany this summer.

Also, there will be a special update on the European U21 Championship up later!

It’s January 2011 and the transfer window has just opened. It’s expected that most players will remain where they are, however there is some uncertainty regarding the short term future of Will Luck and Phil Taylor.

James Bishop was expected to stay at Chelsea for the remainder of the season and push on with the development he’s shown since arriving at Stamford Bridge in the summer. Preston, however, had other ideas and presented Chelsea with a loan deal for the remainder of the season promising Bishop regular first team action. Bishop rejected the move, citing his 8 Premier League appearances for the Blues so far this season as reason enough for staying and trying to force his way into the starting eleven.

Owen Edwards was expected to remain with Forrest for the time being with the prospect of a transfer dealt a huge blow by his lengthy hamstring injury with few clubs willing to gamble the expected £1.5million asking price.

Will Luck was believed to be the target of a loan offer from Burnley to provide added impetus to their faltering bid to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking. Preston also joined the chase for Luck’s signature as the transfer window drew to a close however both bids were rejected with the Red Devils keen to slowly integrate the promising forward into the first team.

Sheffield United made it clear that Alistair Paterson was going nowhere in the January transfer window having only recently signed for the Blades and cemented his position as an indispensable member of the team.

It appeared likely that Phil Taylor would be returning to the Emirates for the remainder of the season but Fulham were keen to retain him for the remainder of the season. Eventually it was agreed that it was in the best interests of the player to continue experiencing regular first team action at Craven Cottage and Taylor’s loan was extended until April.

It’s the first of January 2011 which means it’s time to check up on how the graduates are doing, with each of them keen to add to some first team experience to their undoubted potential …

James Bishop has played a further 5 league games for Chelsea this season, primarily as a substitute RB. Bishop has also played in 2 Europa League games. It has been suggested that he’ll remain at Chelsea for the remainder of the season rather than being sent out on loan due to his current involvement in the Chelsea first team squad. He also came on as a substitute in the England U21 defeat to Norway in the European U21 Championship Playoff First Leg.

Owen Edwards made a further 8 league appearances, primarily as a left back, getting another assist before a torn hamstring ruled him out for 4 months, making a January transfer unlikely.

Will Luck made his first appearance for United as a substitute in a 1-1 away draw with Aston Villa. This was then followed up by a start in a 2-1 home victory over Newcastle. Luck also made his Champions League debut as United beat CFR Cluj 4-0 at home, with all of Luck’s appearances for United so far having come as a striker. Luck played and scored in England U21’s 3-1 win over Finland and made an appearance in the European U21 Championship Playoff First Leg defeat to Norway. He also scored an incredible 4 goals as England U21’s battered Kazakhstan 7-1, completing a three minute hat-trick in the process.

Alistair Paterson has become a main stay in the middle of the park for the Sheffield United team, currently rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table, having played 17 games and set up 4 goals.

Phil Taylor recovered from his pre season hip injury as expected and has been deployed mainly as a left midfielder. So far he has played 18 games, scoring twice, setting up 4 more and receiving 2 man of the match awards for his exploits. In further recognition of his brilliant form, Taylor was named the Coca-Cola Championship Young Player of the Month for September. He is expected to return to parent club Arsenal in January however Fulham are hopeful of securing his services for the remainder of the season.

Phil Taylor's Young Player of the Month award for September.

With the new season under way it’s time to recap on what the graduates have achieved so far and check out how each player has improved after their first year of professional football.

James Bishop made 28 league appearances and 7 cup appearances for Stockport County, earning him a £1.6million move to Chelsea.

Owen Edwards made 25 league appearances and 2 cup appearances for Nottingham Forest and will stay put for the 2010/11 season.

Will Luck made 15 league appearances and 3 in the cup for Cardiff City, earning him a £2.4million move to Manchester United.

Alistair Paterson made 28 league appearances and 2 in the cup for Leicester City, earning him a £2.7million move to Sheffield United making him the most expensive graduate so far.

Phil Taylor made 7 league appearances and 1 in the cup for Bradford City, earning him a £775,000 move to Arsenal in the January transfer window. He went on to make one substitute appearance for the Gunners towards the tail end of the season.

Remember, just click on the images to enlarge!

It’s summer and the rumours are flying all over the place. Who’ll move where and for how much and who will stay put for the time being?

James Bishop attracted a long list of admirers throughout the summer with the most notable being Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Sunderland in addition to recently promoted Sheffield United and West Brom. Interest was piqued further as Bishop was named Stockport Count Player of the Year as well as being named in the Stockport County Seasonal Best XI. Bids from Chelsea (£900k) and Arsenal (£975k) failed to meet Stockport’s asking pric, with Chelsea successfully returning with a bid of £1.6million which saw Bishop heading to Stamford Bridge for the forthcoming season. He then made his Premier League debut as a substitute in Chelsea’s 2-0 victory away at Sunderland and followed this up with another substitute appearance in a 1-1 home draw with Stoke. Bishop also made his Champions League debut in a 1-0 home win over Fiorentina in the Champions Cup Best Placed Playoff First Leg however he was not involved in the 4-1 second leg defeat. Chelsea will therefore be competing in the Europa League this season.

Owen Edwards was named in the Forest Seasonal Best XI and spent the summer being monitored by Wigan, Newcastle, Fulham and Manchester United however no bids were lodged. He then played in Nottingham Forests first 5 games of the season, contributing two assists before being named in the England U21 squad for a friendly against Finland and the qualifier against Kazakhstan.

Will Luck was named in the Cardiff Seasonal Best XI. It initially looked like he’d be sent out on loan for the ‘10/11 season with Portsmouth, Sheffield Wednesday and Portsmouth all touted as likely destinations however Manchester United had other intentions. A last ditch loan offer from Sheffield Wednesday was rejected on the final day of the transfer window meaning Luck will spend the remainder of the season at Old Trafford. He was also named in the England U21 squad for the upcoming games against Finland and Kazakhstan.

Alistair Paterson was named in the Leicester Seasonal Best XI. Tabloid speculation then linked him with moves to recently relegated Burnley and title chasing Chelsea, with a £2.7million bid from the former rejected by the player. Paterson instead moved to Sheffield United for their first campaign back in the top flight for the same fee and went on to make his Premier League debut in a 3-0 home defeat to Manchester United on the opening day of the season. He has also been named in the England U21 squad for the friendly against Finland and the qualifier against Kazakhstan.

Phil Taylor was a loan target for Burnley and Fulham with Arsenal keen for the youngster to gain regular first team experience. Taylor opted to remain in London and moved on loan to Craven Cottage until January. He then promptly injured his hip, ruling him out for two months and ensuring he’d play no part in the opening month of the new season.

The season is over so how have the graduates got on and what early indications are there regarding possible transfers?

Several moves were predicted for the January transfer window. James Bishop was linked with Aberdeen, speculation was mounting that Will Luck was set for the Boleyn Ground while both Edwards and Taylor were rumoured targets for Fulham …

James Bishop was scouted by Liverpool on numerous occasions however no bids were forthcoming. Aberdeen remained interested but no formal bid was placed with Bishop remaining at Edgeley Park for the time being.

Owen Edwards attracted the interest of Manchester United but no offer was lodged and he ended the January transfer window still a Forest player.

Will Luck had been attracting the interest of West Ham before the transfer window officially opened however the East London club were unable to agree a fee with Cardiff City and Luck looked set to stay at Cardiff City Stadium for the remainder of the season, however a late bid of £2.4million from title chasing Manchester United changed all that with Luck agreeing terms and moving to Old Trafford. There were rumours that a return to Cardiff on loan was on the cards to ensure he profited from continued first team football however the move failed to materialise.

Alistair Paterson rebuffed all overtures from other clubs and decided that it was in the best interests of his career to spend the remainder of his debut season at the Walkers Stadium

Phil Taylor found himself at the centre of a bidding war as the January transfer window progressed. Bradford City decided to accept £950,000 bids from Middlesbrough and West Brom as well as a £750,000 offer plus future clauses from Premier League heavy weights Arsenal. Taylor decided that it was best for his career and for the future of the club for him to move away from Valley Parade, allowing the Bantams to reinvest on new talent, and eventually accepted the offer to join the famed youth setup at the Emirates stadium.

It’s the 1st of January 2010 and the five academy graduates have now spent five months at their respective clubs, so it’s time to see how they’ve got on …

James Bishop has played in 12 of Stockport’s 24 games so far this season, featuring mainly as a right back and contributing 3 assists and claiming 4 man of the match awards, helping Stockport to 7th in the table, 4 points off the playoff places. His fine performances have seen him named in the Coca-Cola League One Team of the Week on three occasions. He’s also made appearances for England U19’s and has recently been attracting the interest of Aberdeen, with many suspecting a £575,000 bid is being prepared.

Owen Edwards has made 12 league appearances and one cup appearance for Nottingham Forest, who are sitting 12th in the Championship, playing mainly as a left midfielder, with a return of one assist. He was also a member of the England U20’s side that won the U20 World Cup, making one appearance, and is currently being tracked by Fulham.

Will Luck has made 12 league appearances and two in the cup for Cardiff so far this term, helping them to 8th in the league. He’s played mainly as a striker but is yet to score for his club. He was also a member of the England U20’s side that won the U20 World Cup, making three appearances and scoring the opening goal in the final against Germany. Despite his sporadic form Luck is apparently a £1.7million target for West Ham.

Alistair Paterson has made 12 league appearances and one in the cup so far this term for Leicester, who are sitting 20th in the Championship, 3 points clear of the relegation zone, setting up one goal and claiming one man of the match award in the process. He was also a member of the England U20’s side that won the U20 World Cup making one appearance. He looks set to stay with the Foxes for the remainder of the campaign.

Phil Taylor has made 6 appearances for Bradford this term, having been forced to sit on the side lines for six weeks with a sprained ankle. Despite this he has impressed, scoring 2 goals and setting up 4 having spent an equal amount of time at both left back and left midfield. He’ll be hoping to stay injury free for the remainder of the season in the hope of attracting a move away from Valley Parade before the January transfer window closes with Doncaster and Fulham tracking his progress.

This year there are five academy graduates all seeking a career in the upper echelons of the football leagues. Unlike last season where each player was left to find their own route into the game, the academy have this time arranged contracts for each player at their local clubs.

First up is James Bishop, a predominantly right footed versatile defensive player who can play at right or centre back and defensive midfield. He’s a fairly determined player and can be outspoken and short tempered with the media.

Next is Owen Edwards, a left sided player who can fill in capably at left back or left wing and he’s touted as a promising full-back. He’s a determined character but can be volatile and confrontational with the media.

Will Luck is a versatile attacking player capable of playing on both flanks and as a striker. He’s been labelled a promising forward and has a fairly determined personality. He’s media friendly but can at times become confrontational. He’s the only academy graduate eligible to play for two nations, England and Wales.

Then there’s Alistair Paterson, a promising central midfielder by trade, although he can also be played in the hole as an attacking midfielder. He’s a fairly determined player but can be volatile and confrontational when dealing with the media. He has been likened to Leicester team mate and Scotland international Paul Gallagher.

Finally, Phil Taylor is a young left sided player, capable of playing at left back or on the left wing. He’s also capable of filling in at right back if need be. Many see him and Edwards as the future left side of the England XI. He’s a very determined and level headed player.

P.S. If you want to enlarge on the images, just click.