Steve says youngsters have to cope with knock-backs in their career.

Crewe Alexandra boss Steve Davis says that youngsters' Charlie Kirk and Callum Ainley have to go through a tough period in the first team environment as part of their overall development.

Academy graduates Kirk and Ainley have been used sparingly by boss Steve Davis this season and have been handed more of an opportunity recently due to the injury to Alex Kiwomya, but with the on-loan Chelsea winger now back and fellow youngster Tom Lowery grabbing his chance, the two talented teenagers face a fight to remain in the squad of 18.

Davis says that you should always expect a young player to have a dip in form and that they will benefit from being dipped in-and-out of first team action.

The Crewe boss said: “The players have always gone in and then come back out again. It was Dario and Steve Holland did here before me and I have carried that on. It is all part of their development and we manage that.

“We mentor the younger players and have one-on-one talks with them. They know they haven’t done enough to stay in the team. They are going to have their ups-and-downs along the way.

“It was the same with George (Cooper) when he first went into the team. He scored three goals very quickly but gradually we went out of the team again before regaining his confidence. You can see the impact he has made this season.

“The young players have to learn to cope with the pressure of playing first-team football. They don’t get that in the Academy. If they don’t perform there they will probably play the next week anyway.

“They have to learn to cope with knock-backs and sometimes it is better to take them out and let them regain that lost confidence in the Development squad.

He added: “They are talented boys and we all know that here at the club. They just have to have more of an impact when they get their chance in the first-team. If they are forward players they need to be scoring or creating goals or getting in the box and having shots.”