Meanwhile, young professionals Mitchell Curry, Nathan Dale, Enes Mahmutovic, Layton Watts, and Stephen Wearne are all departing the club, along with third-year scholar Nick Hood, and second-years Harold Essien, and Harry Flatters.
Mahmutovic is the only departure who has played first team football for Boro, having made two Carabao Cup appearances in 2018, while striker Curry had a loan spell with Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Wearne also tasted life with the first team when he featured in a number of pre-season friendlies.
https://www.mfc.co.uk/news/retained-list-july-extensions-and-departures
No major surprises there, Stephen Wearne possibly as he only signed a pro contract last year. I had seen him a couple of times for the u18s and he seemed quite talented.
By my reckoning there are still a few 2nd year scholars whose future we don't know about yet (who haven't already signed pro contracts)
Clubs very rarely get it wrong when releasing young players. Its a sad reality that the rate of youngsters that make it in the game compared to the amount that go through the academies is very low.
Yes there are a few cases where a player may make it elsewhere, but those instances are very few and far between.
Here’s an excellent video on that very subject.
http://home.bt.com/video/bt-sport-films-no-hunger-in-paradise-91364241852638
yeah, I don't think there are too many we have released at an early stage that have gone on to make good careers. Chris Brunt was one but he was unfortunate to be behind Downing/Johnson. Jordan Jones is a recent one but there were mitigating circumstances.
I always thought Mahmutovic had looked a good prospect on the two or three times I saw him play and looked comfortable on the ball - maybe he's got other options and is looking elsewhere in Europe given he's already a Luxembourg international.
As for Nathan Dale - well perhaps he was released to avoid the possible dugout confusion of shouting instructions should Boro opt to field a home-grown back-three of Dael Fry, Nathan Wood and Nathan Dale!
btw I've tried to restrain myself from mentioning the risks of having a keeper called Flatters in case he was deceived by a cross...
Though in reality no club would let decent youngsters slip through their fingers and the conveyor-belt nature of academies is either you impress or you're not going to get a deal when the decisions are made.
The Academy seems to be getting a few things right when you look at how many we have in and around the first team plus the likes of Stubbs and Wood coming through so my guess is if they decide not to pursue any further with a youngster they probably have good reason for it be it lack of ability or application or perhaps agent demands that are unrealistic. Whatever the reasons I hope the young lads go on and make successful careers be it in the game or elsewhere, the disappointment must be really hard to take.
@werdermouth yeah, I think the writing was on the wall a bit for Mahmutovic when he went on loan to Yeovil in L2 and couldn't really get a game.
OFB reports excessive agent demands as being the reason for Mahmutovic leaving. He’s normally close to the truth.