This week has seen the EFL celebrate Youth Development Week, highlighting the work of EFL Clubs in promoting young, home-grown players.
Across our social media channels, we have been celebrating the successes of our very own Academy and the players it has produced in recent years.
Check out the below posts for our coverage throughout the week!
Today marks the start of the @EFL's Youth Development Week! ๐
โ Rochdale AFC (@officiallydale) February 4, 2019
Over the coming days, we'll be highlighting the fantastic work of the successful @RochdaleAcademy ๐
Keep your eyes peeled for facts, figures and stories from our Academy ๐#RaisedInTheEFL #RAFC pic.twitter.com/rPFVu3N1Ci
There are a total of 1โฃ2โฃ3โฃ players in the @RochdaleAcademy.
โ Rochdale AFC (@officiallydale) February 4, 2019
1โฃ0โฃ9โฃ play in teams from Under-9s to Under-16s.
We have 1โฃ4โฃ scholars on our books who play for the Youth Team.
2โฃ1โฃ full-time and part-time staff work tirelessly for the Academy ๐#RaisedInTheEFL #RAFC pic.twitter.com/zGD9XdUY4e
๐ฅ We caught up these two - @campscal & @Dan_Adshead - as well as @Aaronmorley7 & Matty Gillam earlier today, for a feature that'll be online later this week.
โ Rochdale AFC (@officiallydale) February 4, 2019
Keep your eyes peeled for lots more #RaisedInTheEFL content in the coming days!#RAFC pic.twitter.com/KdIMxbXUV7
Callum Camps is currently the eldest Academy graduate playing in the first-team at Rochdale AFC ๐
โ Rochdale AFC (@officiallydale) February 5, 2019
He joined @RochdaleAcademy at 1โฃ1โฃ years of age and made his @EFL debut in April 2013 (pictured).
He has gone on to make 1โฃ5โฃ8โฃ @EFL appearances so far ๐#RaisedInTheEFL #RAFC pic.twitter.com/sSep9DcJUm
Academy player Luke Matheson is the youngest ever Rochdale player ๐
โ Rochdale AFC (@officiallydale) February 5, 2019
He was aged just 1๏ธโฃ5๏ธโฃ years and 3๏ธโฃ3๏ธโฃ6๏ธโฃ days when he made his debut in the @CheckatradeTrpy back in September 2018.
He also made his @EFL debut last month ๐#RaisedInTheEFL #RAFC pic.twitter.com/0CMYNPpZ2l
๐ข Since 2013, Youth Team players/ @RochdaleAcademy graduates have notched up a combined total of 6โฃ1โฃ9โฃ first team appearances ๐ #RaisedInTheEFL #RAFC pic.twitter.com/S1wmfCFofO
โ Rochdale AFC (@officiallydale) February 6, 2019
๐ฅ Hear from Academy graduates @campscal, @Dan_Adshead, @Aaronmorley7 & Matt Gillam, who reflect on their time in the @RochdaleAcademy & share their favourite @EFL memories
โ Rochdale AFC (@officiallydale) February 6, 2019
Watch the full six minute feature on our YouTube channel ๐ https://t.co/2YdvyvA528#RaisedInTheEFL #RAFC pic.twitter.com/3vUN9E8QIj
๐ค We've got a bit of #ThursdayTrivia for you...
โ Rochdale AFC (@officiallydale) February 7, 2019
๐ธ Can you name these four Rochdale Academy graduates who made their professional debuts for the Club in the early 2000's? ๐
1โฃ ________________
2โฃ ________________
3โฃ ________________
4โฃ ________________#RaisedInTheEFL #RAFC pic.twitter.com/VnvkIAgjbr
๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ We are both proud and delighted to announce that our Academy player, Luke Matheson, will start for England Under-17s against France Under-17s this afternoon at 2pm ๐
โ Rochdale AFC (@officiallydale) February 7, 2019
We wish Luke and England all the best.
Congratulations, Luke! ๐#RaisedInTheEFL #RAFC pic.twitter.com/sSSzr0uhJh
Well done to all those who guessed correctly! ๐
โ Rochdale AFC (@officiallydale) February 7, 2019
The answers are...
1โฃ Paddy McCourt
2โฃ Scott Warner
3โฃ Stephen Hill
4โฃ Rory Patterson#RaisedInTheEFL #RAFC #ThursdayTrivia @EFL
Former Rochdale AFC scholar Kisimba Kisimba is now coaching our Academy's Under-11s ๐
โ Rochdale AFC (@officiallydale) February 7, 2019
He spoke to us about his time in the Academy, the pathways open to youngsters after their scholarships, and why the @RochdaleAcademy is so successful ๐ #RaisedInTheEFL #RAFC @EFL pic.twitter.com/0WCKVhtITn
๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ Luke Matheson made his international debut this afternoon, starting in England Under-17's win over France ๐
โ Rochdale AFC (@officiallydale) February 7, 2019
He is the second Rochdale player and @RochdaleAcademy product to feature for England this season ๐
๐ https://t.co/vpv3hI1PBb #RAFC #RaisedInTheEFL
๐ธ @PinatarArena pic.twitter.com/lsWDIP5sJL
๐ฃ๏ธ "Itโs a proud day for Rochdale Football Club, for Luke and for me as a coach/manager."
โ Rochdale AFC (@officiallydale) February 8, 2019
๐ฅ Keith Hill says he is full of pride following Luke Matheson's England call-up.
๐ฌ Prefer to read what he has to say? Follow the link.
๐ https://t.co/ZVj8jGuIql
#RaisedInTheEFL #RAFC pic.twitter.com/7rS2WD6eJg
โฝ๏ธ The @RochdaleAcademy is a 7โฃday a week operation!
โ Rochdale AFC (@officiallydale) February 8, 2019
The Youth Team train week days & play the majority of their matches on a Saturday, while the U9s-U16s train Tuesday & Thursday evenings & Saturday mornings. Their games programme is on a Sunday.
๐ฅ๐#RaisedInTheEFL #RAFC pic.twitter.com/6tomyJENvW
Check out this blast from the past, Dale fans... A very young @JJL_Thompson!
โ Rochdale AFC (@officiallydale) February 8, 2019
๐ผ Heโs one of our own ๐ผ#RaisedInTheEFL #RAFC https://t.co/2cjV48TfWi
Today marks the last day of the @EFLโs Youth Development Week.
We thought it was the perfect time to launch our brand new Academy website! ๐
Check out the latest Academy news, fixtures, player success stories, and much more!
๐ https://t.co/oUxPVBVn7n#RaisedInTheEFL #RAFC๐ฅ And talking of goalkeepers, we caught up with Youth Team goalkeeper Morgan Piper earlier this week as part of our #RaisedInTheEFL content. He joined the club at U11s ๐ #RAFC pic.twitter.com/RbGtPKiNoF
โ Rochdale AFC Academy (@RochdaleAcademy) 10 February 2019โ Rochdale AFC (@officiallydale) February 10, 2019๐ฅ And talking of goalkeepers, we caught up with Youth Team goalkeeper Morgan Piper earlier this week as part of our #RaisedInTheEFL content. He joined the club at U11s ๐ #RAFC pic.twitter.com/RbGtPKiNoF
โ Rochdale AFC Academy (@RochdaleAcademy) 10 February 2019
๐ฅ "I am ever so proud," - Joe Thompson
โ Rochdale AFC (@officiallydale) February 10, 2019
Our final tweet of @EFL Youth Development Week comes from @JJL_Thompson, who reflects on a 13 year career in professional football.
It all started back in May 2006 when he made his Dale debut in the @EFL ๐#RaisedInTheEFL #RAFC pic.twitter.com/WWSpO3ceYF