Rioch pride as Wigan register biggest rise in TGG Academy Rankings

The Rankings assess Academies based on the number of graduates they produced who made at least one appearance in the top five English leagues and the other of the ‘Big Five’ European leagues in 2024/25.

The full 86-club Academy Rankings are accessible to TGG Members only and you can find out how to join and the other benefits here.

‘Proud’

The Latics have had at least one Academy graduate starting in every first-team game for the club since early 2020 and Rioch is understandably “proud” of the achievement.

“We’ve had the most minutes offered to Academy graduates across all four divisions over the last two seasons and we’re way ahead of anybody else on that stat,” Rioch told TGG.

“Last season, 39% of available minutes were taken up by Academy graduates and 42% the year before. So it’s a  really consistent level of giving opportunity to young players, players who’ve come through our Academy.

“When you think about last year as well, it’s quite an incredible stat really considering we sold two of our finest in Charlie Hughes to Hull and, halfway through the season, Thelo Aasgaard [to Luton]. So I don’t know what those minutes would have been had they not been sold.

“It’s been a real plus for the football club and one that, through adversity over our recent history, has brought about opportunity.”

The club are not resting on their laurels, however.

“I was the Academy Manager for nine-and-a-bit years,” said Rioch, who was promoted to Sporting Director in August 2023. “Jake Campbell was my Assistant and has taken on the role. I keep saying to the Academy staff, ‘never ever get complacent with it, never get used to it’.

“Any debut, any appearance is something to be shouted about because it’s so difficult to do. But we’ve just been really fortunate that I’ve had a method and we’ve managed to do it quite regularly.”

Wigan do not set targets for the number of Academy graduates who will be involved in a matchday squad.

“No, I think it’s a natural progression, really,” said Rioch. “I don’t think it’s right to tell a Manager to hit a target that might be unrealistic. A player’s got to be good enough to go in and then they’ve got to be good enough to stay in.

“We set targets for the Academy and we set targets that we’d like a certain percentage in our first-team squad. We’ve got 12 Academy graduates in the first-team squad on a weekly basis and we had a large number last year.

“We give the players time to develop. Targets are really interesting because you can set targets but if they’re not good enough then they shouldn’t really be playing or there might be a reason why they’re not playing.

“Swansea back in the Championship in 2020 was the last time we didn’t have an Academy graduate starting in our first team. This weekend versus Bolton will mark at least one Academy graduate starting in the last 150 league games.

“It’s given belief to other youngsters in our Academy that it can be done.”

‘Flaws within the system’

Despite their success, Wigan are not planning on moving up to a Category One status any time soon.

“Category Two has enabled us to develop players. We are a League One club and we have to be realistic with that,” said Rioch.

“I think there are some flaws within the Academy system. We only have to look at a young lad called Tobias Brenan who has broken into our first team. The Manager wanted a couple of Under-21s to go to our pre-season training camp with us.

“Tobias was one of those and all of a sudden he’s in the Manager’s eyeline every single day and flourished. He started the season and has had three league appearances and a couple of cup appearances this season.

“He was released from Oxford, because they were a club who run a very good Category Three programme. By the time he finished his Under-19 year, there wasn’t an Under-21s programme for him and all of a sudden when there’s no pathway programme, it’s very difficult.

“For us, it’s not a desire necessarily to rush to Category One. We’re able to develop players at Category Two, and I think it’s a good Category for us to be in.”