Whatever happened to the Hoyte brothers?
By Devon Gray (vavel.com)
Justin and Gavin Hoyte joined Arsenal as children, but failed to establish themselves as regulars in the side - a common fate among academy products at England's biggest clubs.
At the conclusion of this summer's transfer window, Arsenal released or loaned out a number of academy products, including the formerly exciting prospects Chuks Aneke and Benik Afobe. It is not uncommon these days for highly touted youngsters to fail to live up to expectation, especially at large clubs like Arsenal. But what is proving to be an increasing worry is the lack of first team players that have been able to successfully break through from Arsenal's famed youth system.
Despite an ever-growing English core in Arsène Wenger's side, only Jack Wilshere and Kieran Gibbs have established themselves whilst coming through the Arsenal ranks - with the rest having been developed at Southampton and, with the addition of Danny Welbeck, Manchester United.
Two more memorable names that failed to live up to their billing were Justin and Gavin Hoyte, the brothers from Leytonstone who each joined the club at nine years of age. Justin, five years his brother's senior, made his first team debut in 2002 as an 18-year-old. In six seasons with the club, he amassed only 34 league appearances, but holds the record as the first Englishman to score for Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, with a goal scored during a substitute appearance against Charlton in 2007.
Despite coming back from a fruitful loan spell the previous year with Sunderland, he returned as only a reserve to first choice full-backs Emmanuel Eboue and Gael Clichy. When the following season saw him pushed further down the pecking order with the signing of Bacary Sagna, Justin soon moved to the northeast to join Gareth Southgate's Middlesborough, but the club was relegated to the Championship later that season. Still a youngster at 23, however, Justin became a regular at right back for the Teessiders as they fought for promotion. A trip back to the top flight never came though, and after a six-year spell with Boro, he moved back to London to join Millwall at the start of 2014, where he currently plies his trade.
Gavin, the younger of the Hoyte brothers, has experienced much less fortune than Justin. His potential with Arsenal was nearly as promising, having had success throughout the various youth teams. But after a disastrous first team debut, in a 3-0 defeat to a Robinho-inspired Manchester City in 2008, Gavin was sent to Watford on loan the very next month. The following seasons saw Gavin sent out on loan three more times, to Brighton and Hove Albion, Lincoln City, and AFC Wimbledon, with relatively little success to show for it.
In 2012, he was finally released from Arsenal and signed with Dagenham and Redbridge, where he had arguably his most successful spell, albeit in the fourth tier of English football. Despite this, he was released from the club at the start of this summer after failing to agree to a new contract. Gavin has since signed with League 1 side Gillingham on a deal that runs until January.
Both of the Hoyte brothers have chosen to represent Trinidad and Tobago at the national level, despite appearing for various England youth teams earlier in their career. Justin, as it so happens, had the opportunity to represent the Soca Warriors at the 2006 World Cup, but declined the offer in hopes of one day donning the England shirt at the highest level. That chance never came, and that disparity between expectations and reality has summed up the careers of the Hoyte brothers and many others who come through high-profile footballing institutions.
So often, it seems, young and exciting prospects wither away in the youth teams of England's biggest clubs. It is becoming increasingly unlikely that England will ever see another "Class of '92" to emerge out of a club like Manchester United. As will be the case for years to come, larger sides prefer to invest in proven talent rather than bleeding youth players at the highest level to gain experience - a phenomenon that we've all come to expect.
But with so few youngsters getting the chance to break into the first teams of massive clubs, why do they choose to start their careers there when there are plenty of more suitable academies like Southampton's that have earned a reputation for giving youth a chance? For one, it must be awfully difficult for a parent to turn down the opportunity to send their prodigy to an establishment like Manchester United or Liverpool. And for families who grow up in the local area of a large club, just like the Hoytes, sometimes receiving an education at a club like Arsenal is simply more convenient.
What is worrying, however, is that in the midst of extreme pressure to succeed immediately, Arsène Wenger may have lost his reputation as a manager who will take a chance on youth. His experimentation with young sides defined the majority of the past decade with Arsenal, but the club has only started to find success again with the abandonment of this policy.
Currently, there are few hopes of another local talent breaking through anytime soon. Even the imported prospects have struggled in this regard. Thomas Eisfeld, who was bought from Borussia Dortmund, was just sold to Fulham despite consistently showing high potential whenever given an opportunity. Other young players in the team, like Serge Gnabry and Gedion Zelalem, will be disappointed with their lack of chances on the pitch in competitive matches.
The Hoyte brothers, though, did get their opportunities but failed to establish themselves as indispensable members of the squad. Despite being touted as England hopefuls, neither reached their expectations. But as is becoming increasingly apparent, the expectations placed on the shoulders of a young teenager in a high-pressure environment can completely stall a career, particularly with limited opportunities available.
Perhaps things would have been different for the Hoytes had they begun their careers in a more conducive environment with more available opportunities to gain professional experiences. Or maybe this is just a case of two players simply not possessing the talent to succeed at the highest level. If one thing is certain though, it's that fewer and fewer local academy products will succeed at the very highest level. With the largest clubs possessing the cash to buy all of their requisite talent, it is less frequently in their best interest to invest in the development of local talent.
