Young Stags' midfielder Harry Bircumshaw has been recognised by the League Football Education for his recent on-field and off-field achievements.
The on and off the pitch achievements of 11 young footballers has been recognised by League Football Education (LFE).
'The 11' acknowledges the football and academic progress of Under-18 players on apprenticeships at current or former English Football League (EFL) clubs - and is also designed to assess other factors including involvement in community or charity-based initiatives.
This accolade celebrates the holistic development of young players, a barometer which is also applied to the LFE Apprentice of the Year Awards presented at The EFL Awards dinner in April.
England Under-20 World Cup winners Ademola Lookman (formerly Charlton Athletic), Dael Fry (Middlesbrough), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (formerly Sheffield United) and Lewis Cook (formerly Leeds United) have all previously been named in 'The 11'.
Everton forward Lookman and AFC Bournemouth midfielder Cook also went on to become Apprentice of the Year winners. Others to previously feature in this select group include Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham), Conor Chaplin (Portsmouth) and James Justin (Luton Town).
The LFE's reasoning behind the inclusion of Bircumshaw is as follows:
'Harry has enjoyed a successful time as a player and student during his apprenticeship, clinching high grades in addition to establishing himself as a key member of the Stags Under-18s side that won the EFL Youth Alliance North East division in 2016-17.
The team currently top the table this season, too, with the central midfielder providing a number of goals and assists, while also shielding the defence to contribute to the best defensive record in the league for the past two years.
Elsewhere, the second-year apprentice has earned top marks academically and is even studying an additional A-level alongside the rest of his education.
Regional Officer Ian King said: "Harry's attitude to training, games and education is outstanding and he manages to do an additional A-level alongside it all.
"He is a D*D*D* student and sets an example to the others in terms of how to manage your time effectively in order to succeed in all aspects of the apprenticeship."'
The 11 – February 2018:
• Roy Syla (Barnet)
• Matthew Wolfe (Barnsley)
• Sam Squire (Cambridge United)
• Ryan Schofield (Huddersfield Town)
• Toby Stevenson (Leyton Orient)
• Harry Bircumshaw (Mansfield Town)
• Momodou Touray (Newport County)
• Alfie Payne (Norwich City)
• Tom Hamer (Oldham Athletic)
• David Parkhouse (Sheffield United)
• Alex Hunt (Sheffield Wednesday)
LFE chief executive Alan Sykes added: "The 11 is directly associated with apprentice reviews that are conducted by our regional officers throughout the season. It is a great way to highlight the achievements and progression of talented young footballers who apply themselves to all aspects of their apprenticeship."
For in-depth profiles on all of the players named in 'The 11' for February, please visit the LFE website.
