Former Bantam Cadamarteri has high hopes for son Bailey

Teenager Bailey Cadamarteri has been making waves for Sheffield Wednesday with his goal-scoring exploits in the under-18s.

The year 11 pupil at Birkenshaw’s BBG Academy has earned plenty of praise following a recent hat-trick against Ipswich.

Cadamarteri only turns 16 next month when he will be old enough to be offered a pro contract by the club he started at in the under-nines.

He has also had to deal with the inevitable hurdle of his surname – especially when his dad was on the academy coaching staff at Hillsborough.

“When I was working there, I didn’t mention anything to Bailey but I heard people saying that he was only there because of me,” said former City striker Danny Cadamarteri.

“I really felt for him but I never made a thing of it because it wasn’t the case. He got released at Huddersfield and got the opportunity at Sheffield Wednesday off his own back with his performances..

“It’s always been of his own doing but there was a stigma attached because of me. My younger son Caelan is there now as well.

“Bailey gets pigeon-holed, especially as he is a striker like I was. He’s had that expectation from people and has overcome that.”

Danny Cadamarteri with eldest son Bailey, who has come through the age groups at Sheffield Wednesday

While Cadamarteri is keen for his eldest son to make his own way, he is there to offer guidance on the many pitfalls in the game. He knows them more than most.

After 97 appearances for his hometown club, the one-time Everton prodigy left Valley Parade under a cloud in 2006 following a six-month ban after traces of ephedrine were found in his system during a post-match check by drug testers.

He added: “I’ve been through so many up and downs in my football career. People always say, ‘do you regret this and that’ and ask what I’d have done differently.

“I’m well-placed and educated in terms of looking out for my own kids now.

“It’s great to pass on any knowledge but the biggest help they’ll get from me is how to deal with the rights and wrongs.

“I probably didn’t have that guidance to stay on the right path.

“Bailey is his own person but the more I can educate him on what I could have done better, that can only help him as an individual.”

The young Cadamarteri is not the only current success story from the Soccer Akidemy programme run by his father at the BBEC Business College in Buttershaw.

Other local lads who have secured pro scholarships include Faris Khan at Doncaster, Tom Zabroni with Grimsby, Aman Panasar (Hull), Jean-Claud and Alex Anaman (Barnsley) and Oldham’s Harvey Green.

“It’s good to see kids from Bradford are showing what a hotbed of talent it is,” said Cadamarteri.

“You talk about Mason Greenwood at Man United and me back in the old days but there are kids from the city now who are coming through our programme and finding clubs to give them that platform to continue their football development.

“Why do you think teams like Man City, Everton and Man United are setting up satellite centres around Bradford? They know it’s a big catchment area in terms of good young footballers.”

Cadamarteri, a qualified UEFA A coach, set up the Akidemy six years ago at Dixon’s Allerton Academy - Bailey was in the first age group - before recently moving to bigger, more accessible premises in Buttershaw.

They deal with all the clubs in the region and have a good relationship with City - something that Cadamarteri is eager to encourage.

“We work with Neil Matthews, Ryan Farrell and Alan Nevison at Bradford. A lot have joined their academy from our programme and we also aid their exit strategy for kids.

“They will contact me if a player isn’t going to get a contract and pass on the details. They believe in our programme and know we will try to get another opportunity.

Danny Cadamarteri is excited to see Mark Trueman and Conor Sellars given their chance at City

“I’ve had a lot of conversations with Alan Nevison since he’s come back to the club about further strengthening that relationship,

“We’ve got a number of kids who play for Bradford City and might come to us as well for one extra training session a week.”

Cadamarteri is understandably keen for City’s decision to promote Mark Trueman and Conor Sellars as joint managers to work.

He has had previous dealings with Sellars and believes that putting two coaches with a vast academy background into the hot-seat can only be good news for aspiring young Bradford talent.

Cadamarteri said: “There are always going to be people who criticise that they are young and inexperienced. But it’s like anything, you’ve got to start somewhere.

“I looked at the appointment and saw it as a big positive for Bradford City because you have two coaches who have worked across all ages in the academy.

“They know what’s coming through now, not just in terms of the current under-18s squad but also in the ’15s and ’16s.

“It’s a results-based business and sometimes you get managers who are only interested in the first team. They don’t see a lot of stuff that’s going on below.

“But someone like Conor will have a really good insight. He’ll be training the first team and thinking that maybe this lad might be ready to step up with them.

“Other managers might be more reluctant to bring these young kids up in case they are nowhere near.

“It’s a good strategy if they can make it work.”