Former Cardiff City captain Darren Purse Purse says the club’s youth set-up is in a “good place”.
The Cardiff Under-21s boss says that in his role, results are secondary to producing youngsters for the first team.
The ex-Bluebirds defender is also pleased with the progress being made by youngsters at the Championship club.
Purse said: “My job as under-21 coach and manager at Cardiff City is not to win football matches, my job is to get the next Cian Ashford and the next Joel Colwill through to the first team.
“I looked at my first game when I walked in the building, I had four first-team scholars start our game. And they were four we actually released at the end of the season. It's been a real transition over the last two years.
“What we have done with the likes of Cian Ashford, Luey Giles, Dylan Lawlor and players like that is give them a platform in the under-21s to go and perform.”
Young Bluebirds Ashford, Giles, Colwill and Raheem Conte ( Signed last season aged 22) tasted senior action towards the end of the 2023-24 season.
Their elevation vindicated Purse’s approach, amid some criticism as Cardiff’s under-21s finished second from bottom in the Professional Development League South.
“Cian Ashford and Joel Colwill will hopefully go and have great careers. I think they are exceptional young footballers," added Purse.
“If people want to slate me on social media about results, I will take it on the chin all day long because my job is to get the boys that have come through into the first team in the last few weeks of the season.”
Purse, who was full of praise for academy chief Gavin Chesterfield, says sending players out on loan rather than making them play youth football at Cardiff has helped the club's cause.
“We will have first-team scholars playing for the under-21s next year," he said.
"If you want to dig at me because we are not getting results because of that, then so be it.
“But the first-year and second-year scholars we have, we think are really good prospects. They will play for the under-21s and the club in two, three, four years' time will be better for it.”
Purse made 103 league starts for Cardiff in a career featuring more than 650 appearances.
He was one of 20 coaches awarded a Uefa pro licence at the Football Association of Wales’ (FAW) national conference last weekend after completing what he called a "tough" two-year course.
Davide Ancelloti, son of Real Madrid boss Carlo, was among Purse's course cohort.
“I love the coaching side and management side, but putting stuff on black and white which you have to do and in presentations, is not my bag," Purse said.
“What I would say, is the 19 other people who have done it with me have made the course for me. It's been so emotional.
“All 20 of us have been in tears at some points. Its been amazing, it's been a brilliant two years and is something I will look back on fondly. I have friends for life.”
The coaches who achieved their pro licence qualifications with the FAW this year: Aaron Briggs (FC Wolfsburg), Andrew Mangan (Bristol Rovers), Dan Micciche (Everton), Darren Davies (Swansea City), Darren Purse (Cardiff), Davide Ancelotti (Real Madrid), Jamie Crowther (Stockport), Jonathan Jones (Barry Town), Lauren Smith (Bristol City Women), Mile Jedinak (Spurs), Martin Devaney (Barnsley), Neil Ryan (FA), Neil Taylor (FAW), Nilton Terroso (Bulawayo Chiefs), Richard Kitzbichler (Bayern Munich), Ryan Maye (Aston Villa), Seyi Olofinjana, Thomas Courts, Tom Ramasut
(Cardiff) and Vitor Matos (Liverpool).
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/cd1159xxexqo