The Youth Team has continued its resurgence as they look to back up last season’s successful campaign.
Julian Darby’s squad is much changed from that which won the EFL Youth Alliance and tasted knock-out success in the Lancashire FA Youth Professional Cup.
With many of last season’s squad stepping up into the professional ranks and the B Team group, the U18s kicked off this season with a new-look side. Wanderers lost their first three league games but are now on an unbeaten seven-match run with Darby admitting it took a while for things to bed in.
“It was always going to be hard because I think nine of last season’s squad got taken on as pros and those nine probably played every week,” said the Whites’ youth team boss on the back of a 2-1 weekend win over Chesterfield.
“The lads who are playing this year therefore didn't get a load of game time last year and it was hard for them to come in and try and hit the ground running when they haven't really played too much football for the last 12 months.
“Then you've got the 11 new boys (scholars) coming in out of school and just trying to get that mixture right and gel together in the dressing room, on the training ground and on the pitch takes time. Hopefully now they're in a better place.”
That progress on and off the pitch is reflected in an excellent run of five wins and a draw in the league to climb up to second place in the table.
The young Whites also launched their Professional Development League Cup group phase with a win at Coventry City and next Saturday will look to stay on a roll when they start their EFL Youth Alliance Cup campaign with a first-round tie at Carlisle United.
“Pre-season wasn’t fantastic. It was a bit of a stop-start really,” added Darby (above), whose side reached the northern final of the Alliance Cup last season. “When the season came we thought we were ready but obviously we weren't because we got beaten in the first couple of games and we just didn't look quite up to the pace.
“Since we went to Rotherham a good few weeks ago now the lads have done terrific and not been beaten since then.
“They've won every game bar the Blackpool one last week where we had a lad sent off with 10 minutes to go and they equalised with two minutes to go. That was a bit of a tough one to take but they probably deserved a point so you can't really complain about it.
“It’s been a great response from the lads. That's all I can ask for really and we've got two tough games coming now. We’re up at Carlisle on Saturday and they're going well this year and is always a tough place to go and then the week after we're hosting Grimsby who've started like a house on fire.
“They’re top of the league and I think they're four points clear at the minute and doing really, really well. It will show where we are this season with the boys, really, and it should be a good test.
“It’s good to be competing again and we’ll just keep going a game at a time, try and win each time, and see how we go.”
Meanwhile, Wanderers begin their defence of the LFA Youth Cup on Tuesday, 11th November at Blackburn Rovers, who they beat in last season’s semi-finals, and are set to find out their opponents in the first round of the FA Youth Cup when the draw is made later this week.
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Wanderers’ Youth Team squad 2025/26 (pictured top) are:
Back row (left to right): Oliver Mercer (Academy Sports Scientist), Alice Pier (Academy Sports Therapist), Levi Kendrick, Tobias Ritchie, Daniel Ogboru, Charlie Quirk, Louis Evans, Sam O'Neill (C), James Shillinglaw, Luke Lomax, Corey Nuttall, Alfie Healy, Jack Mawditt, Daniel Clarke (assistant coach), Julian Darby (head coach).
Front row (left to right): Oliver Best, Jack Sixsmith, Denver Clement, Qunes Fakhy, Tomi Adesina, Xander Taylor, Latrell Lewis, Corey Thomas, Lucas Kirkpatrick, Sam Hopkinson, Rowan Baucutt.
Image: Ben Livingstone