A string of former stars, including Teddy Sheringham and Darren Fletcher, have reportedly been providing "masterclasses" for some of West Bromwich Albion's academy players.
It was announced at the start of the month that academy football had been abandoned due to the current national and global situation.
Group training remains suspended but, speaking to the Express and Star, academy manager Richard Stevens indicated the players have still been hard at work.
He said: "The pandemic has provided challenges and I have to say at the outset the academy staff have been outstanding in responding.
“We’ve had to think creatively and their buy-in from the outset and ongoing day-to-day motivation has been inspiring.
“We’ve learned so much that we will definitely be taking some of the ideas out of this crisis and adapting them for future use when the game returns."
That has included video sessions with Fletcher, Sherringham, and Jonny Evans.
Stevens explained: "For the 16s to 23s, we’ve been able to stage these master-classes from the pros which were just sensational.
“We had Darren Fletcher doing a Q&A for midfield players, Jonny Evans for central defenders and Teddy Sheringham for the strikers.
“Absolute masterclasses they were and it was one of the most powerful things I’ve ever done with up to 100 boys absolutely spellbound."
In addition to decades of experience, the trio boast nine Premier League titles, three Champions League titles, and two FA Cups between them.
Fletcher and Evans both made the switch from Manchester United to West Brom in the mid-2010s and made nearly 200 combined appearances for the Baggies before leaving.
It has not been the easiest past year or so for West Brom's academy with key figures Mark Harrison and Steve Hopcroft leaving the club.
Can you remember which West Brom manager signed each of these 15 players? Have a go now!
The Verdict
Fans will surely love to hear the sort of names that Stevens, via James Morrison and Deon Burton, has been able to get for the academy players.
You'd imagine given the trio's experience in the game and in winning silverware, their master-classes will be hugely beneficial for the Baggies academy players.
It must be a difficult period for Stevens and his staff, who can only do so much while apart and are losing time at pivotal points in many of their players' development.