Dario Gradi was pleased with debutant Chris Stokes at Torquay United on Saturday. The teenage left-back made his Football League debut for Crewe Alexandra after signing on a one-month loan deal from Bolton Wanderers just hours after the squad departed for the English Riviera.
With Matt Tootle struggling with a dead leg in the build up to the Torquay game and Carl Martin suspended following his red card against Grimsby Town, Dario Gradi had to act quickly to bring in a replacement.
Stokes settled in quickly and was fine on his debut. Dario told the club's official web-site: "It was the usual when we started the game, I thought here we go again because they will have their habits and Chris only had the morning session with us before travelling.
"He likes to race forward and join in and he has to go when the time is right, but he was certainly not fazed by the occasion and for his senior debut he was absolutely fine.
"He got stronger as the game went on and more confident and that was promising from his and our perspective. Now he has train and play well enough to stay in."
