RHYL FC’s Academy formally came to an end with a virtual presentation evening last week.

The thriving programme has been responsible for a host of first-term players at the Lilywhites over the years, but it has now been disbanded as the JD Cymru North side decided to begin winding up proceedings due to their financial plight.

The Liles’ Academy has been running for a decade and has been the platform for great success. The likes of Callum Roberts, Mason Blackwell-Jones and Oliver Staveley all came through the ranks and made their first-team debuts during the season.

Many youngsters also went on to sign professional forms at clubs such as Crewe Alexandra, Bury, Blackpool, Wrexham and Chester. Kai Wallis and Iwan Murray are two of these examples over the years.

The programme itself has also managed to secure the FAW Academy Cup and the FAW Academy Futsal tournament, and there were more than 120 young players from across the region that were part of the Academy.

Rhyl FC Academy manager Matty Roberts, said: “The academy was always run and overseen by so many local coaches holding UEFA and FAW qualifications, but they all happily worked as volunteers with a passion and dedication for their hometown club.

“I just want to thank everyone at the club for giving me the opportunity to head the Academy. It’s been and an honour and a privilege this season to oversee my local hometown Academy and continue building on the great foundations and work that always been in place from Niall McGuinness and Luke Binns.

"It’s been such an amazing experience and journey over the last three years coaching and developing so many local players, working alongside and learning of some brilliant coaches and the amazing support from parents.

“It is a chapter of my life that I will always look back on with so many fond memories for years to come.”

With plans for a new phoenix club now gathering some significant pace, Roberts is hopeful that an Academy can be set-up again in the future once the new organisation rises through the Welsh domestic pyramid.

“The closer of the whole academy is going to be such a huge void to fill,” he added.

“The local talent and ability within the area is frightening and it is just such a shame there will no longer be a platform for a large majority of them to showcase their skills at Academy level.

“Hopefully in time with the rebuild of the new phoenix club the Academy could possibly look to reform alongside it when they are playing back within Tier 2 in the future.”