THE Elite Player Performance Plan will benefit the Swindon Town youth team in around three years.

That is under 18s coach Paul Bodin’s prediction, as he settles into his redefined role within the club’s academy.

After five years working as one of only two full-time members of the youth staff, alongside Jeremy Newton, Bodin is now able to dedicate his time to the scholars at the County Ground as he bids to produce fresh talent capable of breaking into the first-team squad at SN1.

With footballers as young as six being introduced to the mantra of the new academy, Bodin believes he will soon see more professional behaviour and rounded ability in his squad within 36 months.

“In the past we’ve been two nights a week or one night a week, there’s not been a lot of contact time. “Now every session is recorded, every six weeks there’s a review of every single player and there’s far more tracking on every single player.

“You can engrain far more work tactically, technically, physically with the players so by the time they do get to us.

“You’re probably looking at perhaps three years time when we’re going to see the benefits. There are far more staff now with the EPPP, we can monitor things much better.

“Last year there was just Jeremy and myself and it was very difficult to try to control everything although it was done quite well. Now we can influence the way the coaches teach the players.

“We can all have our input on a much more closer and more detailed basis and I think in the next few years we will see it a bit better. I’m not going to say a lot better because we still have our local catchment.

“Occasionally we have players from outside but we are restricted. We don’t pay money for players and we don’t pay travel expenses and we have had issues already where parents are coming in four times a week. The costs are there for all to see.”