Bland, the captain of our U18s, discusses the young Reds’ consecutive appearances in the play-offs.
Last season, Bland led our U18s to victory in the PDL title, triumphing over Charlton Athletic in a thrilling play-off final at Oakwell.
Once again, the young Reds have the opportunity to succeed in the play-offs, as they prepare to face the Addicks in the semi-finals, this time in the capital. Their 3-0 win against Wigan Athletic secured them the second spot, a remarkable achievement that has brought immense satisfaction.
“I feel a sense of relief more than anything,” admitted the 18-year-old. “At the beginning of the year, we set our sights on reaching the play-offs as a minimum requirement. Winning back-to-back PDL titles would have been ideal, but sometimes things don’t go as planned.”
Throughout the season, our U18s have had to rely on several young players who have stepped up to play in higher age groups due to injuries and call-ups to the U21 team.
Nevertheless, this young side has displayed resilience and composure under pressure, consistently delivering results in the intense battle for the coveted second spot.
“We were in a strong position, comfortably on track to finish second by February. However, the past couple of months have been challenging,” continued the midfielder. “We’ve had several players called up to the U21s and some sidelined with injuries, which has stretched our squad thin. That’s why our comeback and surpassing Sheffield Wednesday in points is even more impressive.”
“Now that we are regaining players from the U21s and recovering from injuries, things are looking up. We have a great group of players.”
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