With Birmingham safe from relegation, he was due to start the final match of the season, away to Reading, but illness prevented his appearance.
(meta data) TITLE: Harding, Lakin and Bellingham - The pipeline pumping the talent through Birmingham City - Birmingham Live (meta data) AUTHOR: https://www.facebook.com/blueswriterbriandick/?fref=ts (meta data) PUBLISHED DATETIME: 2019-05-18T13:46:00Z CountryIn Your AreaVillaBirmingham # Harding, Lakin and Bellingham - The pipeline pumping the talent through Birmingham City Garry Monk's role in BCFC player pathway revealed ByBrian Dick14:46, 18 MAY 2019SportVideo LoadingGet the biggest Birmingham City FC stories by emailSee our privacy noticeMore newslettersThank you for subscribingWe have more newslettersShow meSee our privacy noticeCould not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email Birmingham City's Under 23s missed out on applying a silver-lining to their excellent campaign by the narrowest of margins at Elland Road. What was a microcosm of a first team match, Leeds United all possession-based and Blues' faithful to their team shape coiled for the break, ended 0-0 after extra time before the hosts won the penalty shoot-out 4-2. Blues ' youngsters - and they are young, they finished normal time with strikers aged 15 and 16-years-old, gave a superb account of themselves. ##### Read More Birmingham City suffer heartbreak against Leeds United as Championship attendances revealed As they have all season long. They finished second in the north section of the Professional Development League 2 - behind Leeds, with the table looking thus: #### PDL 2 (North) 1. Leeds U23 P28 W17 D6 L5 PTS 57 2. Blues U23 P28 W14 D6 L8 PTS 48 3. Crewe U23 P28 W13 D8 L7 PTS 47 4. Burnley U23 P28 W14 D3 L11 PTS 45 5. Forest U23 P28 W12 D7 L9 PTS 43 #### Read More ### What's happening at Blues? All your BCFC news Announce Sunjic Fan reaction 6. Bolton U23 P28 W13 D4 L11 PTS 43 7. Barnsley U23 P28 W10 D9 L9 PTS 39 8. Sheff Wed U23 P28 W11 D5 L12 PTS 38 9. Sheff Utd U23 P28 W9 D9 L10 PTS 36 10. Hull U23 P28 W5 D6 L17 PTS 21 The success mirrors that of the first team - and is largely born from the fact the Under 23s, under Richard Beale and Paul Robinson, now mirror the first team. Garry Monk sits at the top of the Birmingham City pyramid and this season has insisted on a closer ties between all age levels. The 23s are the lifeblood of the first team, the 18s are the lifeblood of the 23s - and so the trickledown continues. #### Garry Monk explains "When I came in here, seeing what best practice and the best environments was I'd worked in, I wanted to bring them close to me and the first team. "They're professional players now and not academy players. "I spoke to Bealey in the summer and I wanted the U23s to work closer with the first team, basically they're mirroring everything we do physically and fitness-wise, I think that's the biggest benefit for the young pros. "Also training with the first team and being close with the first team for two reasons. No 1 it gives the player the best opportunity. "If there's a young player in there that is going to come and train with the first team, he might have a chance to play with the first team. Birmingham City's development coach Richard Beale "Then he has a really clear idea already of what he's going to walk into. "If he doesn't have that idea and I'm training in a session and it's a tactical session and I'm spending 20 minutes with that young lad, then he's not going to benefit from that because he's going to be behind. That was the biggest reason. "The second one was to let them have a pathway to see that they can get there and be close to it. ##### Read More 5 things we learned as Leeds United inflicted play-off misery on Birmingham City U23s "Bealey along with Robbo and his other staff have done a fantastic job this season and you can see the benefit of having worked closely with us and having that kind of link. "There's a lot of work to be done in terms of developing these young players. I'd like more players and more options. "But my job is to put a player in the first team when I believe he is ready to make it." #### Who's stepped up? Midfield Charlie Lakin has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign, played 11 matches, including five Championship starts. In doing so he triggered a clause in his contract to earn an extended deal. Connal Trueman started the season in goal, made a couple of appearances and would have played at Reading on the final day had he not been ill. He has spent the season as back-up to Lee Camp. Bez Lubala has been used sporadically, making four appearances and regularly featuring in the match-day squad. Wes Harding, a graduate last season, has continued his progress and played 30 matches this term. The 22-year-old is building an excellent career. And Josh Dacres-Cogley has only played a couple of times but has been a constant around the match day squad. Fifteen-year-old Jude Bellingham, who played in the Playoff final at Leeds, has been 19th man on a couple of occasions. ##### Read More 'Sick of it' Birmingham City striker Che Adams makes this admission #### The Under 23s verdict Former Blues - and Leeds - defender Paul Robinson was in charge of the 23s at Elland Road and gave a glowing assessment of the campaign. "We have more than exceeded our expectations this season," Robinson said. "When you play a new system linked to the first team it's not what these kids are used to. "From day one they have been brilliant, from pre-season we explained to them how it was going to be and what was wanted and they have taken everything on board. "It's been a joy to work with them, I am proud to work with every single one of them. Paul Robinson, Birmingham City FC Assistant Senior Development Coach "It's just unfortunate the way it ends but a lot of them can stand up and be proud of themselves. "The majority of them have trained with the first team when the gaffer wants them to, if he is short on bodies he will call them over and get them experienced on training sessions they do. "They have had all of that. ##### Read More Birmingham City players left 'crying their eyes out' after penalty shootout pain at Leeds United "It's now for them to decide 'Where do I want to be? Do I want to be playing in stadiums like Elland Road and experience big crowds?' And then go from there. "I see quite a few of these players definitely having careers, hopefully at Birmingham City, I would like to see these players put the shirt on and run out at St Andrew's. ### Birmingham City latest This is your round up of all things Birmingham City; the one-stop shop that will keep you updated on the latest goings on at St Andrew's and beyond. Transfers, injuries, match-days and managers, we've got you covered. We'll be bringing the very latest on Blues throughout week and around the clock. Make sure you keep yourself updated with our handy daily catch up... ### Must-reads Blues humbled by Forest - READ How the players rated at the City Ground - READ Dressing room talks revealed - READ Pep Clotet reacts - READ ### For all your latest Blues news, opinion, analysis and transfer gossip, click here "But that's not my decision - that's the manager's. We can only prepare them to be ready and get them in the right mindset and if the manager thinks they're ready that he can trust them to do that. "It's as strong as it has been in my time at Blues, it's definitely improving. I still think it can be better but that's just me from being in academies myself growing up. "It's a work in progress for us. This year has been a real statement of what we can do with the 23s and first team. We are hoping we can continue that and take it forward. "The best advice I can give them is take everything on board, listen to the right people around you and just go and experience as much as you can." Leeds United's Gaetano Berardi challenges Birmingham City's Corey O'Keefe in the U23s final (Image: Andrew Varley Agency) #### The next generation Much as Birmingham City want to keep him under wraps Bellingham's talent is obvious and the attacker is the jewel in the crown. Odin Bailey, who also played at Elland Road, has spent time out on loan and his ability has earned him time with the first team. Steve Seddon has spent virtually the whole season out on loan, first at Stevenage in League Two and then fighting a successful relegation battle with AFC Wimbledon in League One. He is slap, bang, left of centre on Monk's radar. Others, Corey O'Keeffe, Geraldo Bajrami, Ryan Stirk, Ryan Burke and Adan George will be intent on forcing their way on it. 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Connal Trueman
Club career.

 When David Stockdale joined in 2018, Trueman dropped to fourth choice, and went on loan to Solihull Moors until January 2018. An injury to Stockdale in September left the club with only one fit professional goalkeeper (Legzdins was sold before the season started), so Trueman was recalled to act as backup to Kuszczak. When Stockdale returned to the starting eleven in November, manager Steve Cotterill retained Trueman in the matchday squad, but when Garry Monk took over in March, he recalled Kuszczak to the bench. 
 At the end of the season, Monk told both Stockdale and Kuszczak they were free to find other clubs, and neither took part in the first team's pre-season training. A bid for Ipswich Town's Bartosz Białkowski came to nothing, and Trueman went through pre-season as first-choice goalkeeper. He made his Football League debut in the starting eleven for the opening match of Birmingham's 2018–19 season, a 2–2 draw at home to Norwich City in the Championship, and despite the arrival of the experienced Lee Camp kept his place for the visit to Middlesbrough. According to the "Birmingham Mail", Trueman "had no chance with a superbly struck goal but [was] all at sea on a couple of occasions", and Camp took over for the next match and the rest of the season, with Trueman as a regular on the bench.