Preferring not to send their scouts abroad, Hull City simply dispatch them to watch Manchester United youth team games.
Joe Dudgeon, Joshua King, Robbie Brady, James Chester, Cameron Stewart, Corry Evans are hardly household names which trip off the tongue.
Unless you happen to be a Hull City supporter.
Gone are the brief days of Hull inhabiting the higher echelons of the Premier League, a winner at the Emirates from Brazilian winger Geovanni seeming a distant memory.
No there are no Brazilian fancy-dans at Hull nowadays, instead a group of young, hungry to succeed, largely home grown players, which have taken Hull to within one point of the Championship play-off places.
Their squad includes six players purchased or loaned from Premier League champions Manchester United, with Corry Evans the brother of United defender Jonny.
Joshua King, who is Norwegian, was the latest recruit, signed on loan in January, a move which could well become permanent in the summer.
Left-winger Robbie Brady is the other loan star, and is likely to be wanted back by United, the Irishman is highly rated and has scored four goals in eight games for Ireland’s under-21 side.
The last time Hull City were promoted it was in thanks to a stellar contribution from a young Frazier Campbell, on-loan from, you guessed it, Manchester United.
United also loaned Angolan striker Manucho out to Hull, where he netted a 1-0 winner away to Fulham, before United sold him to Spanish club Real Valladolid.
Of the youngsters at Hull, Cameron Stewart is also highly regarded, and has overcome a serious injury to get his Hull career back on track.
So why do Hull have such an affiliation with United?
It is in no large part down to Hull manager Nick Barmby, whose teenage son Jack Barmby plays on the left-wing for Manchester United’s academy side.
Barmby, 17, son of the former England midfielder, is one of the most talented players in his age group and United have high hopes for him.
But back to Hull City, it is not just Manchester United youngsters the club have been snapping up.
The club have two on-loan goalkeepers, Peter Gulacsi from Liverpool and Vito Mannone from Arsenal.
Former Liverpool youngster Jack Hobbs is the club captain, and Arsenal fans will remember striker Jay Simpson, who it was once hoped would break into the Gunners’ first team.
The side also have former Manchester United youth team defender Paul McShane out on loan at Crystal Palace. But it is not all youngsters, veteran Kevin Kilbane adds vital experience as does Slovenian international Robert Koren.
With the Premier League becoming more demanding of instant success it is harder for youth team players to gain the experience
Top sides have also been scouting the globe, bringing in teenage talent from Brazil, Argentina, and across Europe, making it even more difficult for young British and Irish players to get regular first team football.
That is why it is great to see Hull City prospering, compared to say Doncaster Rovers, a fellow Championship side who would rather pay big wages to El Hadji Diouf and Pascal Chimbonda.
If the club make it into the Premier League it will be a victory for British talent.
image: © mattythewhite
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