Mark Ogren insists Dundee United’s academy is ‘the cornerstone of our club’ – with ambitious targets to create Champions League players.
United have joined forces with Baldragon Academy as part of an exciting partnership to develop the next generation of elite level players.
The academy offers 20 pupils 1,280 additional hours of individually tailored ‘performance education’ while they pursue their studies at Baldragon.
The facility is the brainchild of Dundee United academy director Andy Goldie, who established links with Baldragon’s head teacher Hugh McAninch last May.
And United owner Ogren insists his club are fully invested in youth after a recent visit to the state-of-the-art facility.
“The academy is the cornerstone of our club,” said Ogren. “Arrangements like this are key to our club.
“As far as we are concerned the sky is the limit.
“You develop these players from a young age then there is no telling where they can go.”
Tony Asghar: Dundee United academy is crucial to our ambitions
Dundee United sporting director Tony Asghar echoes Ogren’s thoughts.
Asghar played a key role in the appointment of Goldie to head up the club’s academy in 2019.
And he has high hopes for the Baldragon tie-in, which launched in May 2020.
“When we first came to the club two and half years ago, the academy was the key pillar of what we were trying to achieve,” said Asghar.
“Trying to determine young players through education was another of our key pillars.
“Having the partnership with Baldragon has worked fantastically well.
“We have known for years, back to the 1980s, that Dundee is hotbed for talent.
“It’s important to engage with talent.
“We want to utilise it from within where we are from and thereafter make sure we can get boys from other regions.”