Dario says flair player Charlie Kirk had to think for himself when coming through the Academy.

Crewe Alexandra’s director of football, Dario Gradi, says that when Charlie Kirk was emerging through the club’s Academy, he would often prevent himself from shouting out instructions because Kirk would produce something out of the ordinary himself. It was the same feeling he had with Nick Powell, who later joined Manchester United.

Dario told crewealex.net: “Charlie is a flair player and he can become a match winner like Nick was and what Ryan (Colclough) was becoming for us before he left for Wigan.

“When Charlie was coming through the Academy, I would often be on the sideline trying to communicate instructions to him. I would be shouting pass the ball, pass the ball and he would go on a run and score a goal!

“I began to realise that the things I was shouting were not as good as he was producing anyway. I thought shut up Dario and let him get on with it!

Dario added: “Sometimes you have to let players like him and Nick to think for themselves, because they are a bit different to other players.”