ACCRINGTON Stanley are aiming to set up links on the continent in an effort to boost their youth recruitment drive.

Sandwiched in between Blackburn Rovers – who boast a Category One Academy – and Premier League new boys Burnley, while just an hour’s drive from the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Everton, the Reds are rarely top of the list of clubs youngsters aspire to sign for.

MORE TOP STORIES:

But youth coaches at the League Two club are hoping to change that mindset after a successful stay in France.

A group of 38 youngsters from the club’s Under 11s-Under 13s Academy teams, and one Under 10, recently returned from a five-day trip to Paris St Germain, where they held training sessions, had a tour of the ground and played a game against their French counterparts.

The intention is for such an excursion to become at least an annual event, and be a feather in the cap of the club when it comes to attracting young players.

Duncan Fearnhead, Accrington Stanley’s foundation phase lead coach, said: “The aim of the trip was to give the kids an experience they wouldn’t normally get at Accrington Stanley, being a Category Three club in a league with the likes of Rochdale and Oldham. Now and again we have games against City and United, and we recently set up a link with Liverpool.

“But to go to a top European club was massive for the kids, especially as a lot of them aren’t going to go on and play professional football.

“It gives them a chance to sample it at a younger age.

“The training facilities are outstanding over there and they got to work with some top-class coaches.

“While we were out there they were impressed with our players, and pleasantly surprised (at their standard) and they’ve invited us to a Youth World Cup in the summer.

“It might be a bit short notice to get a team out there but it would be good as the likes of PSG and Boca Juniors are involved in the tournament, so if you put Accrington Stanley among those two that would be massive PR for the club.”

Fearnhead admitted that was among the initial reasons for organising the trip, to encourage aspiring footballers.

“We’re within about an hour’s drive of 26 professional clubs, and at the bottom of the food chain, so the recruitment here is difficult,” he said.

“Also taking into account the lack of facilities and funds, it’s hard for us to punch above our weight.

“We are the lowest ranked club in the north west but there is no way our academy is down at the bottom.

“We are doing a lot more with our players than a lot of clubs.

“But putting ourselves alongside PSG, from a recruitment point of view, it’s a big incentive.

“When you’ve got a player with a choice between Bury, Oldham, Rochdale and ourselves it could put us ahead of them a little bit.”

Fearnhead said they had received nothing but positive feedback about the trip. “The lads loved it and since we got back we’ve been bombarded with text messages and emails from parents saying what an experience it was,” he continued. “We’ve already started negotiating another one.

“If they know they’ve got something like this in the future it’s going to spur them on to work harder.”