Nick Townsend: Jenas is proof you can still win with wannabes

It will have surprised no one to learn that the latest infant prodigy from a household that breeds sporting excellence like The Corrs produce songstresses is one John Rooney. What may give us cause for wonder is the fact that the youngest brother of Wayne is described as "an attacking midfielder".

Rooney No 2, who was welcomed into Everton's youth academy last week, is 12. Most of us would recall that at such an age, football strategy consisted largely of a mass of players all contriving to boot the ball further than a few yards, with the resulting receipt of praise from a teacher, manager or parent if a pass actually found a team-mate. Positions may have been issued initially, but after 10 minutes became almost arbitrary. With that in mind, we can gauge the kind of progress that John Rooney has already made. Did someone pencil him in for England, c. World Cup 2006, deployed just behind his brother?

There is high expectancy in Goodison circles. "A dynamite player" says a club source, though at 12 there is so much to go wrong. Yet, assuming he advances as his eldest brother (the middle one, Graham, has opted to eschew football in favour of boxing) has done already at 17, at least there is every prospect that Rooney junior will be offered his chance.

If there is one welcome legacy of the financial sickness running though football's veins it is that the trend of producing home-grown talent is back in vogue, hence the many varied options open to Sven Goran Eriksson in his Young England exercise in the second half against Australia 10 days ago.

Except at Arsenal, of course, where the fruit produced by the Liam Brady-headed young footballers' farm is ripe and abundant, but largely remains unpicked by Arsène Wenger. The Frenchman would contend that at the very élite level at which he works it would be foolish to persevere with those even marginally below top class, when he has access to a ready supply of French golden delicious.

On Tuesday night, only Ashley Cole and goalkeeper Stuart Taylor had ascended in recent times from Arsenal youth level. It is difficult to argue persuasively with the manager of a Double-winning team, who this season are still on course for a Treble, that he should give home-developed youth more of a chance. There is also the truth that none of those who have sought to establish themselves elsewhere have risen to a comparable level to those he signed from abroad.

But it is easy to sympathise with the frustrations of those thrusting wannabes at Highbury, whose only real opportunities occur on loan, even though Wenger has declared his intention of placing more emphasis in future on the products of his academy. The reality remains to be seen, though he may consider it Jermaine, so to speak, to review the relative achievements of two particular players: Pennant and Jenas, born within a few weeks of each other and both originally from Nottingham. The former, despite being prised, at no small cost from Notts County at 16, has, nearly four years on, only been a rare sighting in the Arsenal first team. More commonly, his domain has been Watford, where he has been on loan. Maybe his qualities do not match Wenger's exacting standards? Brady is clearly frustrated his charge has not benefited from regular first-team football at Highbury.

In comparison, you can only speculate on what might have been the fate if Jermaine Jenas had been persuaded to move instead from Nottingham Forest to Arsenal three or four years ago. Sir Bobby Robson, who affectionately refers to him as J J, purchased the elegant midfielder last January and thrust him into the white heat of a North-east derby against Sunderland. The result has been a summons to the England coach's coterie of young pretenders, among whom he turned in the most mature exhibition against Australia.

Admittedly, Robson was acquiring a player with considerable first-team experience, albeit in the Nationwide. But Newcastle's venerable manager has always been prepared to place his faith in his instincts and provide openings for the club's own trainees and those raised at lesser clubs.

Apart from Jenas, we witnessed fine displays in the 3-1 Champions' League defeat of Bayer Leverkusen in midweek from LuaLua (signed from Colchester), Kieron Dyer (signed from Ipswich), and Shola Ameobi who has developed from a trainee at St James' Park. The Newcastle team also included Aaron Hughes, who progressed from trainee, Titus Bramble (signed from Ipswich) and Andy O'Brien (signed from Bradford City).

If you were the parents of a truly gifted footballer, into whose coaching arms would you entrust your son? Newcastle or Arsenal? Or even a lower league club where his talent would at least be on display? Only a year after leaving the City Ground, the boy Jenas is earmarked as a prime contender for England's problematic left midfield position. As Eriksson's assistant Tord Grip, who watched Newcastle on Tuesday, opined: "Although I think his best role is in the middle you can play him in many positions. We are always looking for a solution to the left-hand side. Jenas played there for Forest, so he's used to it."

The Swede added: "He's now playing international football and League games every week. I think he will be a very useful player in the future." Few would fail to concur. This is a talent that has been allowed to float to the top. Not kept in a bottle and hidden away.