Lost boys seek return ticket to promised land

They couldn't get a look-in at Arsenal and United, and Reading cashed in. The feeder clubs are now the elite

It wasn't an easy decision, and Steve Sidwell acknowledges that. Indeed, in his private moments he was probably tormented by the realisation that he was forsaking one of Europe's grandest sporting institutions. Yet, ultimately, his departure was akin to a young, talented chef resigning from the kitchen of a Michelin three-star London establishment, knowing that he would never, truly, impress the proprietor. Sometimes it's simply prudent to make your name with an increasingly fashionable but provincial hostelry, despite the uncertainties that entails.

For Sidwell, the pivotal moment in his career arrived on 6 November last year. It was a night when Arsenal were eliminated from the Worthington Cup by Sunderland and one on which the then 19-year-old midfielder from Wandsworth finally recognised the futility of his situation. He had accepted readily enough, as anyone must, that Patrick Vieira and Gilberto were leviathans who would continue to impede his path of progress. But on that night there was no sign of them. They had both been rested.

Sidwell, who had prepared for that moment since he was first associated with Arsenal as a nine-year-old, sat expectantly on the Gunners' bench, awaiting his chance. "Chuck me in and let me sink or swim," he pleaded silently. To no avail. "I'd played in pre-season friendlies and the youth-team coaches always used to tell me, 'Wenger's keeping his eye on you, he thinks you've got a good chance', and I thought the time had come for me," Sidwell recalled. "It was so disappointing when I didn't get on, because we should all have one chance to prove ourselves."

He added: "Afterwards I thought, 'OK, I think I know where I stand now'. I went out on loan to Brighton, which went superbly, and this has come from that." This is the Vieira role – no, make that more of a Paul Scholes, given his red hair and attacking instincts – which Sidwell has adopted at First Division promotion aspirants Reading.

His arrival just preceded that of the Manchester United winger Luke Chadwick, who is on a month's loan which may be extended. Enviable captures for Reading and their shrewd manager, Alan Pardew. Yet it tells us something about the dearth of opportunities for young English players to develop among the élite. Since Ray Parlour emerged over a decade ago, only Ashley Cole has progressed though the Arsenal youth set-up to become a first-team regular.

United would rightly expect us to acknowledge "Fergie's Fledglings"– Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Nicky Butt, the Neville brothers and Paul Scholes, products of the early- to mid-Nineties. But since then, only Wes Brown and John O'Shea have demonstrated they are capable of establishing themselves in an era when an immediate impact is essential. Although the net trawling for talent grows ever wider, only the prized specimens are retained and most are ultimately rejected. There have been other youngsters at both clubs who have nearly succeeded in an environment dominated by foreign imports: Matthew Upson, who was originally at Luton, promised so much at Highbury before eventually decamping to Birmingham, via a loan period at Reading.

Chadwick himself, who has long been in the unfortunate position of understudy to Beckham, actually made the first team, but has started only one game this season. He could, however, remain at the club which nurtured him. He still has two- and-a-half years remaining on his contract, but explained: "I haven't figured regularly for a long time. Matthew Upson has proved what you can do by coming here on loan. Hopefully, I'll be able to make the same kind of impact."

Sidwell could have stayed at Arsenal, but instead recently signed for Reading in a £250,000 deal. "At the end of last season Wenger didn't want me to go and offered me another contract," the England Under-20 international said. "But he also told me, 'I've got to be honest with you. I don't know whether you're going to be in my team next year, or even in three years' time'. It was being out on loan really, with all the publicity you get, and other club managers are looking at you, that convinced me that this was the right move. I just felt that if I left Arsenal and still played at a high level, which I am with Reading, there's every chance that I can go on, hopefully with them, and get back to the Premiership."

He added: "At Arsenal you could be on a great contract, play in the reserves week in, week out, and still be a millionaire. But do you want to be in a comfort zone and just pick up your money?

"Matty Upson could have done that easily enough. But he decided on Birmingham and now he's in the senior England squad."

Both Chadwick and Sidwell, who had been pursued by several other clubs, featured prominently in Reading's 2-1 defeat of Gillingham on Monday night. Chadwick scored, albeit fortuitously, after just 13 minutes, but his superior class was always evident. Sidwell, a popular character at Highbury and, for his age, highly mature in outlook, possesses the personality and quality to dominate a game as a central midfielder and is a natural goalscorer – if we ignore the fact that he missed a penalty.

You suggest to him that, at 20, his decision might be considered somewhat premature. Others who have descended to the lower orders have discovered only obscurity. "It does go through your head that you might never get back to the Premiership again, but I also believe that your true quality will come out," he said. "At Arsenal I've had the best kind of coaching in the country, probably in Europe. If you perform to your best level, you'll stand out and there's a lot of people watching you. It's the same with other young players at the top clubs. They're not going to get as good a first-team chance as they would at say, Aston Villa or Everton, and they need to get out on loan otherwise they'll be ignored."

He continued: "I fully respected Wenger's decision. It's hard for him. He wants to chuck the kids in, but he is under pressure to win games. If he puts Vieira in, he knows what he'll get out of him. If he puts one of the youngsters in, it all might go pear-shaped. But I still feel sorry for the youth development coaches. Don Howe [Arsenal Under-19 coach] is a great man, but it must be disappointing to produce young players who never get a chance. They're bringing the players on up to a certain age and then selling them on, as they have done with me and several others... James Harper [also at Reading], Paolo Vernazza, Julian Gray and Tommy Black."

In a sense, positions have been reversed. Where once the major football powers might have depended upon the lower clubs as recruitment grounds, they have now themselves become feeder clubs. Pardew, backed by John Madejski's money, isn't complaining. He is reaping the benefits. "These are the kind of players we've got to get here if we want promotion," he said. These are men with something to prove; not least that there is an expectancy of a fulfilling football life beyond Highbury and Old Trafford.

The talent drain at the big two

Arsenal

Stephen Hughes (26): England U21 midfielder, signed pro 1995, 49 League apps before joining Everton in 2000 for £500,000. Moved to Watford a year later on free transfer.

Jay Bothroyd (20): England U21 striker, signed pro 1999. Did not figure in first team. Moved to Coventry a year later for £1m.

Tommy Black (23): Winger, signed pro 1998, played one League Cup game before moving to Crystal Palace for £250,000 in 2000.

Julian Gray (23): Winger, signed pro 1998, one sub appearance before moving to Crystal Palace for £250,000 in 2000. Scored against Liverpool in Palace's FA Cup victory.

Rhys Weston (22): Welsh inter-national defender, signed pro 1999, made one League appearance. Joined Cardiff for £300,000 in 2000.

Steve Sidwell (20): England U20 midfielder, signed pro 2001. Joined Reading last month for £250,000 after loans at Brentford and Brighton.

Jermaine Pennant (20): England U21 midfielder. Schoolboy at Notts County, £1.5m deal taking him to Arsenal as trainee in 1999. Turned pro following year. Four Worthington Cup apps. On loan again at Watford.

Paolo Vernazza (23): Eng U21 midfielder, signed pro 1997. Two League apps. Injury-prone, on loan at Ipswich and Portsmouth before joining Watford in 2000 (£350,000).

James Harper (22): Midfielder, signed pro 1999, loan spell with Cardiff City before joining Reading for £400,000 in 2001.

David Noble (21): Eng U20 midfielder, signed pro 2001, loaned to Watford. Signed by West Ham in January.

Manchester United

David Healey (23): N Ireland inter-national striker, signed pro 1997, one substitute app, loaned to Port Vale. Joined Preston for £1.5min 2000.

Paul Rachubka (21): Californian-born goalkeeper, signed pro 1999, one League app, loaned to Oldham 2001. Joined Charlton last May.

Jonathan Greening (24): England U21 midfielder, originally with York, signed for £500,000 in 1998, 14 League apps. Followed Steve McClaren to Middlesbrough for £2m in 2001.

Mark Wilson (24): Midfielder, signed pro 1996, 3 League apps. On loan to Wrexham 1998. Moved toMiddlesbrough for £1.5m in 2001.

Ronnie Wallwork (25): Striker, signed pro 1995, 19 League apps. Loan spells with Carlisle United and Stockport County. Signed for newly promoted West Brom last summer.

Danny Higginbotham (24): Defender, signed pro 1997. Four League apps. Joined Derby for £2m in 2000. Last season's Player of Year.

Michael Clegg (25): England U21 defender, signed pro 1995, 9 League apps. On loan Ipswich and Wigan in 2000. Joined Oldham, free, last year.

John Curtis (24): England U21 defender, signed pro 1995, 13 League apps. On loan to Barnsley 1999, moved to Blackburn Rovers following year for £2.25m. Injury problems.

Alex Notman (23): Scotland U21 striker, signed pro 1996. On loan to Aberdeen in 1999 and Sheffield United 2000. Moved to Norwich for £250,000 in 2000.

Luke Chadwick (22): England U21 winger, signed pro 1999. 24 League apps and has played in Champions' League. Currently on loan at Reading.