ACADEMY AWARDS 2021

The annual Academy Awards took place on Sunday evening where players, parents, families and coaching staff gathered to celebrate the successes of our academy in 2021.

At the event, hosted by Ally Heather, Academy Director Andy Goldie noted that “nights like these are vitally important for us, it’s part of our culture. We want to bring everyone together and recognise the sacrifices, hard work and achievements of everyone in the room. There’s been constant evolution, innovation and creativity to build on the progress of the last three years and I think our Gussie Park redevelopment project is the next stage of that”.

Andy also emphasised the importance of the academy journey and how no pathway to success is linear - “It’s not just about award winners or success stories, it’s a time for reflection of your own unique journey and to ask yourself...what is my why & how am I going to achieve it? Once you know that, you’ll find it much easier to own & enjoy your journey – not anybody else’s.”
 
There were some familiar faces in attendance as seven academy graduates joined United legends Dave Bowman, John Holt and Hamish McAlpine on stage to talk through their journey so far as well as a Q&A with the audience.
 
Sporting Director Tony Asghar and first team Head Coach Tam Courts were also present, offering an insight into the pathway for aspiring, young Dundee United players.
 
Tony Asghar: “There’s been a remarkable change over the last three years. Mark Ogren set out a plan for the academy to make it the cornerstone of the football club and creating a clear pathway through the academy is a huge part of that. The strength of the academy is shown by 14 academy graduates making their first team debut this season and still contributing to a successful team on the park”.
 
Tam Courts: “Nights like this are a culmination and a celebration of all the hard work going on in the academy over the past year. There is a real family feel to this football club and we want to make sure the players enjoy their journey, even when they face setbacks. I think this club are really good at sticking by their young players and there is certainly an opportunity for these young players to continue to develop and achieve success at Dundee United.
 
Each player was presented with a unique memento to celebrate their achievements before the player of the year from each age group was announced. The event was about the success of the entire Academy rather than focusing on individual achievements and we would like to congratulate the full academy on a successful 2021 and look forward to further success both on and off the park as we continue our journey.
 
Find a selection of the photos from the evening below: