It is no secret that Middlesbrough have radically changed the way they approach transfers as a club over the past two years.
Their recruitment policy has seen them target more players that are under 24, have potential and are hungry to develop their game. In fact, this summer, aside from the three goalkeepers that Boro have brought in, the other six signings – Morgan Rogers (20), Alex Gilbert (21), Rav van den Berg (18), Lukas Engel (24), Emmanuel Latte Lath (24), and Sam Silvera (22) – all have an average age of 21.5 years.
With Kieran Scott a major contributor in orchestrating Boro’s business in the transfer market, the recent recruitment windows have seen the club’s overall average squad age lowered, but there are a number of teams who have younger teams.
Middlesbrough fielded their second-youngest ever player this season in 16-year-old Finley Cartwright, but do not have the youngest squad in the Championship, ironically that accolade goes to north east neighbours Sunderland, who are managed by a very familiar figure from Middlesbrough football club’s past.
Black Cats have youngest Championship squad
Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray – a former Middlesbrough captain and manager – oversees a group of starlets who have an exact average age of just 23. With youthful talents like Jack Clarke and 17-year-old Jobe Bellingham, it may not come as too big a surprise to most football fans.
The Black Cats are an extremely youthful bunch of players and are a considerable way in front of the rest of the Championship teams in terms of their tender age, with Mowbray’s former club Blackburn sitting in second with an average age of 23 years and 198 days.
It is interesting to see that, although Middlesbrough have worked hard to bring in so many youthful and exuberant types, they still sit somewhere around half-way, level in eleventh with Stoke City, with an average squad age of 25 years and 81 days.
Wise old Owls
The other Championship sides who have squads with an average age under 24 are newly promoted Plymouth Argyle (23 years and 292 days) and Leeds United (23 years and 327 days). Hull City (24 years exactly) and Southampton (24 years and 26 days) make up the top six.
In terms of clubs who are at the opposite end of the spectrum, featuring more mature players in their respective squads, are teams who have been promoted from League One, with Sheffield Wednesday, with the Owls ranking in 24th place, with an average age of 27 years and 56 days and Ipswich ranking in joint 20th with West Brom, with an average of 26 years and 54 days.
Rotherham (26 years 205 days) and Millwall (26 years 351 days) make up the bottom four.
Fans can find the information for all Championship teams on the Sports Mole website.
Fans, pundits and even managers will all differ in their belief as far as what they think is the ideal average age of a squad should be. A blend of youth and experience is normally the aspirational aim. The Middlesbrough hierarchy will hope to prove that their strategy is one that will pay off come the end of the season.
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