Future Posh: The Club’s Three Most Exciting Prospects
- Charlie Mclellan
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Since the dawn of the dome, Posh have seen some excellent academy prospects flourish in the first team and beyond.
Harrison Burrows, Ricky-Jade Jones and Harley Mills are just some names that can be attributed to the club’s now thriving youth system.
But who is next off that conveyor belt?
Currently, there are three players that are being tipped to be the next big things out of the academy, joining the first team squad permanently in the summer.
I am going to explore who they are, and how I see their development panning out in the future.
Lucca Mendonca
Position: Central defender
Mendonca is the big talking point right now after his stunning league debut away at Stevenage last week.
He is a classy, half-Italian, half-Brazillian, central defender who is both defensively robust, and cultured on the ball.
His great strengths are tackling, athleticism (and the capacity this provides for strong last ditch defending), and remaining composed under pressure while passing out from defence.
He can still improve physically, becoming more aerially dominant, and harder to bully, however he competed well with a very stocky Stevenage frontline on debut.
I doubt he will see a huge amount of first team action for the rest of this season, however I think it will be valuable for him to remain around the first team group for the remainder of the campaign and for pre-season.
I would love to see Mendonca go out on loan to a top National League side next season, where he will be forced to both defend against very wily strikers, and play out from the back in sometimes difficult conditions.
This would continue his impressive development, and equip him well for a first team spot.
Patryk Sykut
Position: Attacking midfielder
I love Sykut. When I watch the U21s/U18s play, I am constantly impressed by him.
He is a number ten who is continually looking to get on the ball and make things happen. With an impressive passing range and silky skill, he is a real threat to opposition defences.
He has an incredible aptitude for close control, and the ball often looks as if it is attached to him when he is playing in tight areas.
He recently made his first team debut, and will be looking to rack up more minutes in the coming months. He has been hindered by Posh no longer being in the Vertu Trophy, however I would love to see him making some appearances in this competition next season.
He is incredibly lightweight at the moment, and will need to develop physically before he is a ready-made men’s footballer, however his technical promise is off the charts.
Bolu Shofowoke
Position: Striker
As Posh fans, we have heard a lot from Darragh MacAnthony about Bolu. He scores in pretty much every game he plays in at youth level, showing clinicality and aggression which is rare in a striker of his age.
Bolu has lightning pace, which results in him getting in behind a lot in games. His pace often results in him rounding the goalkeeper before passing the ball into an empty net.
He is a good finisher, particularly when one-on-one, and he certainly appears more accustomed in front of goal than Ricky-Jade Jones did at his age.
Bolu needs to be nurtured and physically developed before he is ready for consistent first team action. He remains small and lightweight, which has been incredibly evident when he has stood next to regular first-teamers while involved on matchdays.
He has a high ceiling, and is a very exciting prospect from the academy, however he will need a Pemi-esque non league loan to boost his confidence and knowledge of men’s football before he is fully ready to go.
Posh fans are correct to believe the hype about Bolu though. He could be an absolute star.
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