ARGYLE Centre of Excellence schoolboy centre-back Lloyd Jones has been called-up for the Wales under-16 squad for two friendly internationals against Switzerland this week.
Jones, a 14-year-old Devonport High School student, who lives in Derriford in Plymouth, recently returned from playing for Argyle in the high-profile Northern Ireland Milk Cup international youth tournament.
The games against Switzerland take place at Bryntirion Athletic F.C's ground, in Bridgend, on Tuesday (kick-off 7pm) and at the Port Talbot F.C. ground on Thursday (kick-off 7pm).
They are part of Wales' preparations for the forthcoming season's televised Sky Sport Victory Shield competition against England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Jones is a born and bred Plymothian, but qualifies to play for the Principality through his Welsh father, Gareth Jones, head of coaching at UPC Marjons.
SIR ALEX FERGUSON'S call for radical changes to England's academies has been given the go-ahead by the Premier League.
Top-flight chairmen rubber-stamped a revolution in youth coaching at an end-of-season meeting last week.
The Elite Performance Plan means clubs have up to five times more hours to work with youngsters - which Fergie demanded in the aftermath of the Champions League Final defeat to Barcelona.
The current system, which limits the coaching of players to just 2,000 hours between the ages of 10 and 18, has been scrapped.
In future, clubs such as Manchester United will be able to match and even surpass the Barcelona model which allows 8,000 hours over the same period. A limit has been set in England of 10,000 hours.
Also, players will no longer have to live within 90 minutes of their clubs - although United often evaded this by relocating families from London to Manchester.
But there remain issues to be resolved over how much compensation should be paid if players are poached from lower division clubs. The new changes come into force from the start of the 2012-13 season.
Manchester City will scrap their reserve team to focus on the new Champions League style youth tournament.
The big-spending Premier League side reckon the new under-19s European club competition will provide ideal experience for the Champions League stars of the future.
Plans are in place for a 16-team competition - the NextGen Series - involving teams from all the major nations on the continent.
City, Liverpool, Tottenham and Aston Villa will be England’s representatives when the event debuts in September, Celtic are Scotland’s sole team while Barcelona, Inter Milan and Sporting Lisbon are also involved.
City have already withdrawn from next season's reserve league to concentrate bringing through their youngsters.
City’s academy chief Mark Allen.believes the tournament will help raise standards among younger players.
'The average age for a Premier League debut is becoming older, 21 or 22 when before it might have been 17 or 18,' said Allen.
'You have to bridge that gap and prepare them for a better standard of football. We’ll be competing against the best in Europe, a la the Champions League format, and we see it as an important chapter in the development of Manchester City.
'It’s the next stepping stone, so as they come through the academy system there is the platform for them to be playing football at a level that is commensurate with their development.
'It will prepare them for those balmy nights we’ll hopefully have in the Champions League as the club moves forward.
'We want to prepare them for what they will encounter as fully-fledged professionals. Who knows, we might be seeing the new Lionel Messi on a Thursday night at Hyde.'
City have decided to opt out of next year’s Barclays Premier Reserve League as they plan to field a mix of elite development squad (reserves) players and academy prospects as clubs are allowed to include three under-20 players in each predominantly under-19 tie.
They will continue to play in both the Manchester and Lancashire Senior Cups and 'prestige' friendlies.
'We found it (the reserve league) just a little bit too rigid in terms of fixtures, added Allen. This will allow us the scope for a flexible games programme.
'We can also take advantage of playing games further afield as we engage more with some of the clubs we have close relations with in Europe and across the UK.'
The new tournament will not, however, impact on the Barclays Premier Academy League.
'It is an individual choice to play in the reserve league but all teams play in the academy league,' a Premier League spokesman said. 'The NextGen fixtures have to be completed over and above the Premier League Academy season.'
Full Group Stage draw:
Group 1: Barcelona (ESP), Manchester City (ENG), Celtic (SCO), Marseille (FRA)
Group 2: Liverpool (ENG), Sporting Lisbon (POR), Molde (NOR), Wolfsburg (GER)
Group 3: Basle (SWI), Tottenham Hotspur (ENG), PSV Eindhoven (HOL), Inter Milan (ITA)
Group 4: Ajax (HOL), Rosenborg (NOR), Aston Villa (ENG), Fenerbahce (TUR)
"I've been very fortunate I've been through some pretty exciting times," said Parry, who became the first Premier League chief executive in Feb. 1992. "Forming the Premier League was the biggest revolution ever in English soccer, and arguably in European soccer. It was fantastic being at the heart of that."
During Parry's tenure, Liverpool won an UEFA, F.A. Cup and League Cup treble in 2001 and, after one of the most memorable Champions League finals of all time — known as "The Miracle of Istanbul" — lifted its English-best fifth European Cup in 2005.
"I've had some fantastic nights, some breathtaking nights with Liverpool," said Parry. "It'll be nice to be able to share that with people."
Parry also was involved with the former English national academy at Lilleshall and the creation of Premier League academy system.
"One of my passions both at the Premier League and Liverpool was the development of young players," said Parry, who remains proud of Liverpool's academy, which was build during his tenure. "In England we've been at it a long time. We've made a lot of mistakes and, if people can learn from our mistakes, it's all (the better)."
A season removed from the club, Parry said he was proud to see Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish turn to so many young Academy products like John Flanagan, Jack Robinson, Martin Kelly and Jay Spearing this past season.
"It's great to see them getting a proper chance," said Parry. "All of a sudden you've got four in the group who have come through the academy the right way."