Everyone knows by now just how key having a successful academy can be.
Just take a look at Ajax, one of the world's most renowned academies, which as earned the club millions upon millions in the past decades.
Through a mix of an incredible scouting system, first-class coaching, and state-of-the-art facilities, Ajax has provided a model of how to build a successful academy, as well as having success on the pitch.
Chester FC have themselves proved in recent years just how good their academy has been, as well as how much talent it has provided the first team.
Once again, they reached another final in recent days, and have enjoyed plenty of cup upsets in the FA Youth Cup.
Chester FC Women's manager Martin Fitzsimons spoke on how fortunate of a position he's in with the youth system at the club.
"We’ve got a very good academy here right the way through the club for the male and female game," he said.
"We’re very lucky to have that."
As a manager of any team, it's very easy to focus the here and now, developing a 'win now' attitude in order to remain in a job, as opposed to planning ahead for the future.
While some may argue it's a job predominantly that the club and the board itself should worry about, ultimately it comes down to the manager to decide when to blood the youngsters into the first team.
With women's football on the rise, there are more youngsters than ever coming through the ranks and finding themselves on the radar of teams up and down the country.
One of the youngsters who has shone in recent months for the Seals is Hannah Snape, which has been highlighted by her manager Martin Fitzsimons.
"Women’s football is obviously growing at the minute," he explained.
"We’re starting to get the fruits of that in terms of Hannah Snape coming through now, who is technically one of our best players at the club, considering she’s only 16."
With the success that the academy has had on the pitch, ultimately players must be able to make the step up to the first team and it must be translated to results for the first team.
Fitzsimons was quick to point out that care must be taken with youngsters from the academy and their development must be constantly tracked.
"Ultimately those players take time to come through," he stressed.
"As the famous saying goes you don’t always win things with kids."
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