"Right, listen up," I said.
"For the next week, you are first-team players. I don't care how old you are. I don't care what squad you usually train with. Out here, you execute the system. You press, you cover, you communicate. The pathway is open."
I pointed toward the absent spaces where Kirby, Eze, and Blake would normally stand. "Those three are away with the England U21s right now. A year ago, they were standing exactly where you're standing. Aaron was playing U21 football eighteen months ago now he's representing his country. The pathway is real. But you have to earn it every single day."
I looked at Paddy, the new U18 manager, then back at the players. "And before we start, I want to say something. Because of what we achieved together last season, winning the FA Youth Cup and the U18 Premier League Nationals, Crystal Palace's U18 team has qualified for the UEFA Youth League for the first time in the club's history."
