A Look Back On Academy Campaign

The 2024/25 season proved to be a year of ups and downs for Latics’ Academy, with promising spells of form, standout results, and signs of real progress as the next generation of talent continues to develop.

It was a campaign that featured an unbeaten start, a challenging mid-season run, and a confident finish, with the young Latics rounding off the campaign on a high with back-to-back wins.

Latics couldn’t have got off to a better start in the league, going unbeaten in their first five games. That opening run set the tone for a competitive season ahead and included a string of confident performances, both home and away.

Among the highlights were a dominant 6–1 victory over Farsley, one of the league’s strongest sides, showcasing the team’s potential. The side also progressed in cup competition with another commanding 5–1 win, again against Farsley.

As the season wore on, the young Latics went through some difficult spells, going five games without a win on two separate occasions during the middle of the campaign. While results didn’t always go their way, the players never gave up.

The tough spell served as a valuable learning experience for the squad, one that contains many first and second-year scholars.

The team stuck together and found their feet after these tough spells. They finished the season mid-table, which is a respectable finish after being in the bottom half for long periods of the campaign.

Throughout the season, the academy provided a platform to allow ten of the lads to gain first team experiences.

Abubakar Muhammed, Theo Andrew, AJ Amadin, Ruben Ndienguila, Victor Dielunvuidi, Joey Holden, Josh Whitelaw, Dylan Teixeria, David Amos and Darragh Mulcahy were all involved in the first-team set-up this season, an indication of the pathway that can be provided here.

Nicky Adams, Danny Philliskirk, Ryan Williams and the rest of the coaching staff deserve enormous credit for their tireless work in getting the players into that position.

Abubakar Muhammed, a standout performer who also made an FA Trophy appearance reflected on what the season meant to him:

"After reflecting on this season, it has been full of ups, downs and lessons that are going to be valuable in my career. From the first session on Little Wembley to making my first team debut on Boundary Park is unbelievable. Another highlight of my season was featuring in the FA Trophy, which was a top experience despite the result.

"Seeing what the first team have gone on to do, winning promotion, makes me proud to have been involved for a lot of the season.

"Moving away from that, being in the youth team has played a vital role in what I have achieved playing under top coaches and alongside some quality players who I look forward to playing with next season.

"Overall, it has been a great first season at this club. I can’t wait to get back and apply everything I have learnt to help the team next season and hopefully have another great season with a lot to look back on."

With valuable experiences under their belts and momentum heading into the new season, the foundation has been laid for another step forward in 2025/26.