Walmsley, who left Australia to head up United’s Academy Recruitment, said a late developers program was one of several initiatives being put in place by the League One outfit.

The Manchester born coach spent 25 years in Australia and led the Mariners youth team to three titles in three years before heading back to the UK late last year to manage the Blade’s scouting network and development centres.

And he said the secret to success was to recruit like a top tier club.

“In many respects, the attributes of players of League One standard are very different from those in the EPL,” Walmsley told au.fourfourtwo.com.

“So we need to be finding players now who we think can have the quality to play in the EPL in future.

“It’s easy to fall into the trap of selecting young players for what they can do now. There is evidence everywhere of bigger stronger kids getting selected for the here and now.

“But it’s important for us to look at potential. To that end we will introduce a late developers’ initiative to ensure we capture talent for the future.”

The program is yet to kick off but Walmsley said the aim was to see many of the academy scholarships go to players not yet in the system – a move that will require some bold selections.

Boldness and innovation could be the keys to success under new regulations where, for modest compensation, big clubs can cherry-pick the cream of young talent from academies across the country.

United’s head of football operations John Stephenson outlined the strategic importance of Walmsley’s role given the conditions under the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP).

Commenting on the club’s website shortly after the appointment, Stephenson said: “Tony Walmsley has a terrific reputation and will be vital in implementing strategies that minimise our risk from predatory clubs, as well as extensively boosting our own recruitment coverage.”

United currently sits in third on the League One table, within the play-off spots and one place outside automatic promotion to the Championship. It’s a helter skelter environment and Walmsley is delighted to be back in the thick of things.

“What has been evident, and it is the reason what I am here, is the energy in the industry,” he said. “It’s dynamic – things move very quickly and there is no dead time.

“It’s a very exciting country to be directly involved in the game and Sheffield United is a massive club with tremendous support.

“Locally we have a very strong reputation and a proven pedigree of bringing talent through.

“But as the game evolves under EPPP, my role is very much about forming key partnerships with other clubs to ensure our pathway becomes recognised.”

He may be 17,000 kilometres away these days but Walmsley, who helped steer the early careers of players such as Mathew Ryan (goalkeeper) and Bernie Ibini (striker), continues to track the progress of the Mariners’ league-leading A-League and NYL teams.

And he had plenty of praise for the club’s tactician and last season’s Coach of the Year, Graham Arnold.

“I’ve gone on record before about Arnie’s qualities and it’s no surprise that the first team continues to evolve,” he said.

“I don’t have any regrets at all about moving, but working under Graham was a rare opportunity to work with someone at the top of his game. “