Developing Young Players
For a start, I would say how I mostly buy young prospects for the future.. I playing in serie A and when March comes, then we have this youth intake, so I always firstly check if I have in my youth intake some hot prospect (minimum 3 star player) to sign, then I go (on the same date when I got my youth intake) to the player search and I check all players from year 15-16 (I look only players who are from country in which I play-home grown), I check all players whose value is minimum 100K euros, on that way you can straight sign great young players and save your money, I always look for players who are minimum 3 star potential and when I spot some hot prospect with good attributes, firstly I scout him and if he is good I approach to sign him and offers him a contract (pro contract), but you must be quick when you see intake of new players and check all new young players in your country before they sign pro contract with their clubs, if you do this quickly you”ll be able to sign potential star for just 1-2 mils.
Also I avoid players who are Susceptible to injuries and I always look for that young players when some of my first teamers goes in advancing years (around year 28-29), so I then look for young player for that position which my old player playing and I have enough time to develop that player thru my youth teams (and if I dont sign young player on described way I always check u19, u20, u21 national teams in country in which I managing,, because for me that’s what’s football is all about-create players for my team who are home grown in nation/club).
When I sign that young player, I’ll set an example when I bring a young striker (I always buy a Striker when I want to develope Inside forward/AMR with opposite foot for example). That new young player I always at the start of the season give a chance for a debut in my first team and straight after I put him in u23 team, mark him on AMR position to play (in staff responsibilities my u23, u20, u18 managers must be selected tu use my tactic), in trainings I put that young striker to train on Inside forward AMR position and then again I switch this 16yo to u20 team, mark him on AMR position and asign him that he is available for 90 minutes in u18 team on AMR position also,, on that way he will until year of 20 have a lot of games in my young team (quicker development), don’t forget to arange thru season many u23 games (these games use also for first teamers to regain match sharpness) and asign your u20&u18 managers to arange friendlies also.
On that way my young player will quickly be natural for new position which I put him to train (AMR) because of more playin time on that position in u18, u20, u23 teams. Rarely, some players will not respond well and will not be possible to develope him on new position as Natural,, but this is very rarely.
Now when your young player is in your u20 team you can also mentoring him with help of other young players in your u20 team,, so when you set mentoring for players in u20 team, in group must be 3 players, one player with high determination (16+, perfectionist, professional, driven personality) and this player must be oldest in group 18+years, and put in group 2 players which you want to develope determination/personality, this two players must be younger – 15,16,17 yo, also set properly training units (defence/attacking). If you see determination drop from some player in group, just put that player in other group (as I described) and on monthly base warn that low determination Kid that he must fix his trainings (do this once a month if determination is go low or stagnate or not developing at all). When player reach max determination of oldest player, just cancel the mentoring group, and remember High determination is crucial for winning at senior level.
Most of the stuffs that I wrote here I using for years now in FM to develope young players and promote them later in my first team,, on this way you can save a lot of money and create many world class players,, also state of the art training facilities are needed and great young coaches for your young team you needed also (with great determination, level of discipline and motivation atts (40+ points all three together) and with great coaching atts (30-35 points – 2 main atts), also check your coaches prefered tactic, he must be the same as yours what you using).
It’s good to mention that Senior coaches for your first team must have 45+ points on three main Mental attributes (all three together) and 35-40 points for two main coaching attributes and you will have 4,5-5 star coach (players attributes growth will be better).