Blackpool academy staff enjoy laying the foundation for the Seasiders’ academy prospects

Ciaran Donnelly admits that Blackpool’s academy staff enjoy working with younger players who are at the start of their footballing journey.

The Seasiders’ academy director wants to create an atmosphere which helps the club to attract and then develop youngsters from across the region.

With that in mind, the work goes in to ensure those youngsters have a busy - but enjoyable - time of it when they have joined the club.

Looking back at the academy’s 2025/26 season, Donnelly told Blackpool’s in-house media: “I always say, in the academy, you’re only as good as your foundation phase because that’s laying the foundation for the future.

“It should be a hive of activity, it should be buzzing, there should be loads going on.

“Dealing with kids when they’re nine, 10, 11 years old, it brings a smile to everyone’s faces working with them.

“We really try and create that environment where people want to come and play for Blackpool, local boys, but also from the wider North West region that we can recruit from.

“It’s a great part of the academy, it’s great to have experiences going off and playing in different areas of the country.

“As a nine-year-old or a 10-year-old, it’s not something you would ever experience really in any other normal field.

“It’s a brilliant part of the academy journey and it really lays the blocks for those players to then move through the pathway as it goes forward.”