The Cardiff City academy ace who has already wowed Mick McCa

The Cardiff City academy ace who has already wowed Mick McCarthy and what we can expect from him

It looks as though Bluebirds boss Mick McCarthy will continue to give youth a chance moving forward this term and Rubin Colwill is the latest player to have caught the eye

By Glen Williams


Thursday 4th February 2021




We have seen appointments in key positions in the form of recruitment head Kevin Beadell and head of coaching David Hughes, who was brought in from Southampton, as well as young players regularly training with the first team.

There has been a recognition from the powers that be that the future of the club has to be more self-sustaining and youngsters have to be given their due when the time is right.

Perhaps there were one or two who thought that the appointment of Mick McCarthy might slow down the blooding of young players, but on the evidence of the last two weeks, that doesn't appear to be the case.





MICK McCARTHY:


“When I took the job on, I agreed a minimum of two Accademy players would be in match day squads, I’ve been adding at least three.”

"Maybe we have got to give our younger players a chance," McCarthy said after his first game in charge against Barnsley.

In the Bluebirds' last game, against Millwall, many supporters were quick to spot that 18-year-old Rubin Colwill was named on the bench.

For frequent watchers of Cardiff's youth teams, he will be a familiar name.

The 6ft-plus attacking midfielder, who has been at the club since he was eight, has shot up in height in the last couple of years and is now beginning to fill out a frame which looks suited to handling the rigours of Championship football.

On Tuesday, many watched on as Steve Morison's under-23s side hammered Ipswich Town 4-0 – with goals from Kieron Evans, Roland Idowu and an Isaak Davies brace helping City to all three points.

Despite not getting on the scoresheet, though, Bluebirds fans pointed out Colwill's impressive performance against the Tractor Boys.

The creative midfielder set up Davies' first with a lovely low cross and went from strength to strength thereafter. With first-team boss McCarthy watching on in Leckwith, he will have done his chances no harm of furthering his claim for a first-team spot.

He can look a little gangly and ungainly at times, but at 18 that can only be expected after a growth spurt. What is important is that his body certainly looks as if it can adapt to senior football in time.

On the ball, Colwill, who hails from Ystalyfera in Neath Port Talbot, is silky smooth. He has a lovely first touch, an eye for a pass and a calmness in possession.

Importantly, he always looks for the forward pass and the opening in behind the defence. His link-up play was a cornerstone of that performance against Ipswich earlier this week.

He is the creative hub in that under-23s team, flanked by talented players who have also been recognised by the senior coaching staff like Kieron Evans and Isaak Davies. Colwill runs with the ball with confidence and appears comfortable taking on the defenders or sliding through the wingers and strikers.

His height allows him to be good in the air, too, which will be important if he eventually does break into the first-team fray at Cardiff.

It is easy to see, then, just why McCarthy was wowed by him during his first week in charge, which led the manager to selecting him in the squad against Millwall last weekend.

"I watched him with the residual from the squad on Wednesday when he trained on Thursday and wow," McCarthy said of Colwill's first inclusion in a senior match-day squad.

"He stood out like a sore thumb. He's a really good presence. A big, powerful lad. But technically very good.

"And he looks like a bloke! I said to him today 'You'll be a big lad when you grow up'. He's like a fella in the dressing room.

"Then he trained with us again on Friday because I wanted to see him again. And again, handled it no problem.

"I like him."

For what it's worth, Morison's under-23s are a lovely team to watch when they are in full flow.

They pass and move with purpose and meaning, they play some eye-catching football and that is all the more impressive given the average age of their team tends to hover at around 19.

They have taken some heavy hits this season, indeed they won just one of their first nine matches this term. There were many mitigating factors, though, one being the youthfulness of the team and the other being that Neil Harris named a few of the better players in his senior squads.

Now, though, the under-23s are in the groove and have won three of their last four games, including a comeback win over arch rivals Swansea City.

Colwill has a penchant for making smart and well-timed runs into the box, too. He scored a poacher's goal to net a late winner against QPR at the end of December and just check out the video below for more evidence of his lung-busting runs into the box to add a dynamic threat from midfield, scoring in the 2-2 draw with Watford just a few weeks earlier.

For Colwill, well, the path into the first team is congested, there are no two ways about it.

Harry Wilson, Lee Tomlin and new signing Jonny Williams are all vying for the spot the youngster wants. And, let's face it, that trio are just about the three most technically-astute footballers at the club.

But that should not deter the young playmaker, who academy insiders insist has come on leaps and bounds during his physical and technical development over the last two years.

What is crucial, though, is that McCarthy definitely has one eye on the young crop coming through and that will only serve to better Colwill's chances in the coming months.

He has no qualms in making big calls, such as leaving Harry Wilson on the bench for his first two games in charge, and that should hearten Colwill.

Everyone is on a level playing field now and it is up to the young Bluebird to show he can offer something different.

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Providing we don’t get seriously dragged into a relegation battle (and to a certain extent we are already) , then the end of this season is a good opportunity to try some of these youngsters at Championship level.

I watched the highlights of the under 23s against the Jack's and he was very impressive.

Players like Rubin Colwill should be tried in first team as soon as we are safe from relegation.
There are a few lads that look as if they can make it as first team squad ,just need to be brought into team at the right moment.
The future will be bright if a few can start to get games in championship this year and next.

I watched the game too. Steve Morrison and his staff have got the under 23s playing some really good football.

Providing we don’t get seriously dragged into a relegation battle (and to a certain extent we are already) , then the end of this season is a good opportunity to try some of these youngsters at Championship level.

Yup, that could be an ideal time to see who’s ready.

Providing we don’t get seriously dragged into a relegation battle (and to a certain extent we are already) , then the end of this season is a good opportunity to try some of these youngsters at Championship level.

Agreed. The idea that we put two or three youth team players on the bench we not the slightest intention of ever playing them from the bench and this is bringing them on seems a bit absurd to me. It strikes me that the best thing that could happen in say the case of Cowill is loan him out to a lower division league club and see if he sinks or swims.

We loaned Sang out to Cheltenham and he was only good enough to be a squad player there. I don't like to write a youth player off and they can improve but if he is not good enough for Cheltenham now he is not going to good enough for us. Equally Harris wasn't good enough for Wrexham and really should not be playing for us, he simply isn't a goal scorer. Oddly the first one player who is good enough to play at this level Bagan has been dropped back to the bench.

Think our youth team players reach a certain age and start stagnating in the under 23s. Unless you actually play them or loan them out you never find out if they are good enough.

This us great news live seeing young City players coming through its our future .

Providing we don’t get seriously dragged into a relegation battle (and to a certain extent we are already) , then the end of this season is a good opportunity to try some of these youngsters at Championship level.

Agreed. The idea that we put two or three youth team players on the bench we not the slightest intention of ever playing them from the bench and this is bringing them on seems a bit absurd to me. It strikes me that the best thing that could happen in say the case of Cowill is loan him out to a lower division league club and see if he sinks or swims.

We loaned Sang out to Cheltenham and he was only good enough to be a squad player there. I don't like to write a youth player off and they can improve but if he is not good enough for Cheltenham now he is not going to good enough for us. Equally Harris wasn't good enough for Wrexham and really should not be playing for us, he simply isn't a goal scorer. Oddly the first one player who is good enough to play at this level Bagan has been dropped back to the bench.

Think our youth team players reach a certain age and start stagnating in the under 23s. Unless you actually play them or loan them out you never find out if they are good enough.

If you remember that was the problem with our under 23 players they never got in 1st team squad so never came through? Even loaning out didn't work players are either good enough to be in 1st team squad or they are not loaning out until they are 23 is not way forward.... fans complained no youngsters from academy now ones who are being picked are not good enough so Why have academy ?

Next Game Up for the U23's - COLCHESTER ( Home 9th Feb ) .