Alex keeper excited by Walsall game

Goalkeeper Ben Garratt says it will be a proud day in his career when he makes his Crewe Alexandra debut against Walsall tomorrow.

Garratt has worked his way up through the academy since arriving at the club when he was only seven. Garratt turned 19 on Thursday, and he now can’t wait to make his bow in the Crewe Academy Graduate XI that takes on Walsall at Gresty Road tomorrow.

The Alex keeper, who enjoyed a successful spell on loan with Stafford Rangers earlier this year, feels he has improved plenty over the last 12 months, and claims much of that come under the guidance of goalkeeper coach Steve Phillips.

He is now targeting a successful debut and hopefully more first-team action next term although he acknowledges how difficult a task that will be given the high standard of goalkeepers that the Market Drayton based shot-stopper is competing with.

Ahead of the game, Ben told crewealex.net: “As a young player coming up through the ranks you set yourself little targets along the way. Once you get a professional contract, your next target is to make your debut, so it is great that is hopefully going to come.

“It will hopefully be a very special day for the club as well so it will be a really good time to make my debut. To name a team of home-grown academy graduates is obviously very rare and it says what the club is all about.

“I think I have really come on over the year and I have to thank Steve (Phillips) for the work he has done with me. He has really brought me on as a player and I owe him massively for that.

“Saturday will be a proud day for me and now I just can’t wait for it.”