As part of the EFL’s Youth Development Week, which runs from 18th to 25th March, Colchester United is celebrating players who have come up through the Academy and broken into the First Team.
One of those players is the prolific Brad Ihionvien, who in his break-through season has managed to score five goals for the U’s – four in League Two and one in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy.
Brad’s journey wasn’t easy and involved plenty of ups and downs, and the forward is keen to share his story.
Reminiscing on his early days in football, Brad said: “I started at a local club in London where I used to live and played there for a couple of years and then got scouted by Charlton. I was at Charlton for a few years before being released. And then from there it was just basically trying to fight and get up through the ranks. Obviously, like any other player, I've had a couple of trials here and there. I had a Gillingham trial, had a Watford trial, but they didn’t go well.”
Following the unsuccessful trials, Brad spent a lot of time at Maidstone, developing his craft. He then managed to secure a trial with Colchester United.
The forward’s face lit up as he cast his mind back to his first trial match, describing it as “my worst performance I’ve ever had”.
He added: “I don't know what Dave [Huzzey] saw in me at the time, but I'm grateful to him and Jack Thorpe, who's unfortunately left the club now. But they saw something in me and then I got to the next trial game, did a bit better. I’m pretty sure that might have been Aveley and I scored a hat trick.”
Dave Huzzey is someone who’s been a prominent figure in Brad’s Colchester tenure. He was the one who scouted the forward and has helped him develop since.
Looking back at Brad’s first trial game, Huzzey said: “Jack Thorpe put on a trial game at Frenford on a Friday afternoon, which he was brilliant at to be fair. I went along and picked out three lads in that game – a centre-half, a left back and then Bradley.
“If I'm being really honest with you, I think out of them three, the best performers on the day were the centre-half and the left back, I didn’t think Brad had a great game, but I did see his athleticism, his frame, his desire, not so much his ability on the ball, but I thought it was something we could work on.”
After playing two more trial matches, Brad was offered his first contract. Looking back at that eventful day, he said: “At that point, it was one of the best days of my life and from there it was all about gelling with the team and working hard.”
Huzzey also remembers Brad’s early days, adding: “As Brad got more comfortable within the group, his ability grew and grew and grew, and his technical ability then started coming to the forefront with his athleticism, with his desire and his frame.
“I remember him playing in numerous trial games. I remember him at Aveley where he was excellent and he was completely unplayable and everybody was really excited about what he could do. One thing I vividly remember is how hard he worked in his trial, and when we signed him, I remember saying to him and his dad that how hard you've worked to get this contract, you've got to go again.”
And those words must have had a profound effect on Brad who continued to push. He impressed with the U18s in his first season with the U’s, even securing a First Team debut at the end of the 2021-22 season in a 2-0 victory over Hartlepool.
The 2022-23 campaign saw him feature mostly for the U21s with one appearance for the First Team against Leyton Orient.
The forward, however, wasn’t deterred by the lack of First Team action and scored twenty goals across that season for the U21s.
As a result, he got ever closer to the senior squad, with the 2023-24 campaign bringing him plenty of joy.
“I’ve broken through this season and I have to thank to all the people involved for the work they've done with me,” Brad said.
He added: “And it's been a good season so far - scoring my first professional goal, making my full debut and even just being in the changing room, being in and around the boys, and thank you to all of them as well, because they’ve made me feel very welcome.”
Looking back at Brad’s journey so far, Huzzey stressed he’s not surprised with the youngster’s achievements this season, adding that the forward can go so much further.
He's worked so hard and constantly wants to improve,” Huzzey said.
“I mean even now, I sit down and do his clips with him, and so do the other coaches. I know Danny and Nicky [Cowley] have been brilliant with him in terms of continuing that development. And then it got to the point where he started knocking on the first team door and that was really exciting to see because we knew what ability he had.
“He showed us in the U18s, he showed us in the U21s, but to see that actually come out on the First Team pitch was amazing.”
Brad was also very keen to express his gratitude for the people who have been with him on this challenging, yet fruitful journey.
“If I’m completely honest, the reason I am where I am today is all the people around me,” he said. “The coaches, teammates, my family, my mum and dad, my agent. It’s a 100 percent down to the people around me because I’m quite an emotional person.
“I struggle a lot when things don't go my way. I think that's been seen at times as well through the season. So it was great to have these people around me to really stick by me, push me for it, and let me know when I'm right to feel the way I am or when I'm wrong. It's good to come out the other side of it.”
As far as next season is concerned, the forward wants to push for that place in the starting eleven. With a hint of motivation in his voice, Brad said: “The main aim now is to be a permanent starter.
“I've broken through this season and I've been coming off the bench predominately every game apart from Harrogate and MK Dons. Next season the aim is to be starting all those games and play all of them, score a lot of goals and get the club up the Football League.”
As has been the case throughout Brad’s career, Huzzey has some final encouraging words: “The key bit has been managing him and his expectations. He's had some real highs, i.e. the Hartlepool game when he made his debut and at Gillingham away when he scored that excellent goal and he scored five goals for the first team this season.
“So, I think there's a lot more to come from Brad and that's the really exciting bit.”
