Steve Phillips says that play-off experience has made Alwex kids more mature
Steve Phillips says his Crewe Alexandra team-mates can call on the experience of reaching last season’s Play-Off Final to help us complete the job against Coventry City this evening. Phillips, who was voted man-of-the-match against the Sky Blues in the first leg knows it will be another tough encounter at Gresty Road, but the club's number one says there is a lot of experience to call upon.
Phillips, who could mark his 600th first-team appearance if he continues to keep his place in the Crewe Alexandra team this season, has told the club’s official web-site that there is plenty of game experience in the Crewe squad. The squad’s Academy graduates are close to marking 1,000 appearances between them alone and players like Mark Ellis and Mathias Pogba have been in and around semi-finals and finals during their time with Torquay and Wrexham.
Ahead of today’s second leg, Phillips told crewealex.net: “People talk about experience and I am now 34 and played in a lot of games, big games as well, but I am not the only one. There is of lot of experience in the Crewe squad. We have players here who are 20, 21, 22 but they have played a lot of games. Most of them have played over 100 games or are close, some have played over 200.
“They have a lot of games under their belt and the run in the play-offs has helped them immensely. They know what it is all about to play in front of big crowds and what is expected. They are good footballer and have a good head of their shoulders and they have proved that last season when getting through to Wembley and playing in a final.”