Crewe Alexandra’s assistant manager Ryan Dicker heaped praise on the young players who helped defeat Harrogate Town 1-0 in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday evening.
The Railwaymen fielded a youthful-looking team at the Mornflake Stadium. Five under-18 players featured and 19-year-old Welsh midfielder Calum Agius fired home the winner on the half-hour mark. The victory moved the Cheshire outfit top of their Northern Group E group in the EFL Trophy.
Stan Dancey and Owen Taylor also made their full debuts, while Oli Armstrong, Will Perry and Luca Moore came off the bench in the victory. The oldest player to feature was first-team regular 24-year-old Ryan Cooney, who captained the side.
Crewe has a history of providing opportunities to talented young players. Some of the club’s previous academy graduates include former England midfielder Danny Murphy and ex-West Ham striker Dean Ashton. Several ex-Crewe youngsters like Nick Powell are still playing in the EFL.
After the Harrogate triumph, Dicker, currently working as an assistant under manager Lee Bell, was extremely complimentary of the young Crewe side when speaking to BBC Radio Stoke. The 38-year-old also outlined how the performance reflected Crewe’s esteemed history of giving opportunities to youth players.
“Half the players were under-18s and it was an opportunity to see them thrive in this type of challenge. It sums up what the football club is all about,” Dicker said. “Developing young players, seeing them come through the system and whether they are good enough to get and take these opportunities.”
Although the result was a huge plus for Crewe and their future stars, Dicker urged the players to keep their feet on the ground as it was only the beginning of their careers.
“These are the nights they have to showcase themselves and grasp it with both hands. They should be proud of their achievements and where they’ve go to so far but it means nothing.
“They have to keep pushing on and working hard and the ones who work the hardest will hopefully come through at the end.”
Writer’s View
An impressive Crewe performance against Harrogate may give Bell food for thought about squad selections moving forward. Some standout displays from players like Agius, who has made two League Two substitute appearances this season, may lead to further first-team opportunities in the coming weeks.
Having a talented youth side also allowed Bell to rest most of his senior players here. With four league games coming up in the next three weeks, such rotation, while remaining competitive is a huge plus for the Railwaymen.
