THE LOWDOWN EPISODE #30 - THE DREAM FACTORY w/ RYAN BALDI

Ryan Baldi is author of “The Dream Factory; Inside the Make-Or-Break World of Football's Academies”. The book is a journey deep into the heart of English youth football, revealing in gripping detail how home-grown Premier League stars such as Marcus Rashford and Trent Alexander-Arnold are created, and at what cost. Ryan introduces a rich array of characters behind talent production lines at several Premier League clubs, including Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City, zooming in on the stories of Alexander-Arnold's unique development, how Rashford's sense of social responsibility was nurtured, and how Phil Foden has become a beacon to City’s young hopefuls. Nonetheless the book also explores the harsh realities of life away from the big academies, yielding unrivalled insight into the machine that manufactures these stars and everything it spits out in the process. Expect to hear more about;

- Why some clubs do not see the academy process as viable?

- How clubs are increasingly taking an individual stance towards development?

- What the process of creating a Marcus Rashford on and off the pitch looks like at Manchester United?

- Why support networks like Mason Mount's are all too rare?

- The La Masia of the lower leagues

- The Phil Foden v Dele pathway

- If Ryan believes a World Cup or European Championship win would vindicate the process?

Timestamps;

00:00 - 12:10 - English Academy System

12:11 - 17:25 - Individual Development

17:26 - 23:41 - Cultural Architects

23:42 - 33:40 - The role of parents

33:41 - 43:40 - Breaking tradition

43:41 - 47:15 - Foden v Dele pathway

47:16 - 53:23 - Fear

53:24 - 01:04:43 - Future Solutions