'Goosebumps' - Crawley Town coach on watching Arsenal stars he helped bring though make first team debuts

Laraman has been announced as part of Scott Lindsey’s coaching staff this season at Crawley Town and is helping make an impact with his protege with the team enjoying an unbeaten start to their league campaign.

The experienced coach is a former Crystal Palace player who served his apprenticeship under the guidance of the legendary youth coach, John Cartwright.

After a successful career in non-league football, Carl turned to coaching and has excelled in his various roles with FA Premier League clubs. Initially, he was a youth coach at Charlton Athletic FC when Alan Curbishley was manager and helped bring through players including Scott Parker, Paul Konchesky, Jonjo Shelvey and Lee Bowyer.

He then moved to Arsenal Football Club at the invitation of club legend and Academy Director Liam Brady and worked alongside Neil Banfield, who was Head of Youth Development. Between them and Steve Gatting, Arsenal became globally renown as a club which produced elite young footballers.

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Some notable names he helped bring through at Arsenal include Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Joe Willock. But there is one player who was special which Laraman is credited as having a big influence on. But he says he can’t take too much credit.

"Without blowing my own trumpet there are so many,” he said. “People claim for responsibility for Jack [Wilshere], Jack was born to be a footballer. I just became his friend and someone he could rely on and trust. With all these players who come through it’s not just one person who brings them through, it’s lots of people. But when you have had a contribution towards someone's career it does make you proud and gives you goosebumps even when they are involved in first team training and now their running out and playing for the first team and the goosebumps got bigger.

Laraman also said Wilshere could have been England captain. “Jack was really unlucky with injury but one day he could have been England captain, he was that good, he could run with the ball, receive the ball, change of pace, he was competitive, he was storing, he was Willow the Wisp, he could get by people, let the ball run across him and commit defenders.

"He was unlucky with the injuries he got, he didn’t deserve it and he was a cracking fella.”

Laraman also cited another Arsenal legend as being pivotal in his career. “Liam Brady, I can’t tell you what influence he had on my career, he was so good with the staff and around the kids,” he said. “He knew what it took to be a top player. Without those kind of guys we all pale into significance.”