Craig Levein not convinced by playing colts teams in lower leagues

Hearts manager Craig Levein. Picture: SNS

Several of the 18 teams who contested this season’s competition have yet to sign up for next term, with Celtic, Rangers and St Johnstone all exploring a multi-nations option and the top two sides in the Premiership also said to be pushing to have colts sides included in the SPFL leagues as they seek out an alternative for the existing reserve model.

But Levein disagrees.

“It’s just my opinion, but I am not convinced that’s the best way,” the Hearts manager said. “I think the loan system is really good, particularly now they have changed to what were development loans this season. They might change to something else by the time we get to next season but I quite like that system, I think it works really well.”

The flexibility it affords the club is a positive, according to the Gorgie boss, who as the club’s director of football has been pivotal in the revitalisation of Hearts Academy and the development of the best youngsters. “What we do is play our younger players in the reserves, and our older, 19 to 20-year-olds go out on loan. And some just bypass it completely and go straight into the first team.

“So between all those things, and the fact you can just about pick where to put the players out on loan, there’s quite a lot of choice there to help young players improve. I quite like that.”

While not opposed to Celtic or Rangers colts sides being granted access to the lower leagues, he said he would have to be convinced of the long term merits for any team taking that route.

“With colts teams, I don’t know exactly how it would work and I am probably speaking through my backside as usual, but going into a lower league and maybe not getting out and staying there for two or three years, does it improve anybody’s development?

“Some players are maybe suited to that level, some maybe need to be playing at a higher level. But if you can’t guarantee you are going to get out of that league then your players are going to be stuck at that level for a period of time.

“Again, that’s just my own view. I haven’t looked too closely at it because I think you need a really strong team to compete against men.

“You have seen the results from the Challenge Cup where very few of the colts teams progressed far enough in the competition to play in the semi-final or final.”

Of all the top tier clubs’ under-20 teams, only St Mirren and Motherwell’s colts made it past round two and Levein believes there is greater benefit in playing alongside more experienced pros as part of a loan deal.

“Going on loan you get thrown in the deep end and it’s a case of sink or swim. Now it’s a bit better in the academy because the older age groups have competitive football, previously it wasn’t, so you could get to a loan team at 18 years of age having not played at a proper stadium. But I just like the loan system. I like the way they did it this year and hopefully it doesn’t change too much. We’ll see what happens.

“I don’t have any objection to colts teams, there are countries where B-teams or colts or whatever you want to call them, work quite successfully. It’s just that everyone has a different view on these things.”

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