Dario says we have to keep on producing our own quality youngsters.

Dario Gradi believes that we still have to produce our own outstanding players to continue to survive in modern day football because finding those gems in the non-league scene has become more expensive for lower league clubs. The club’s Director of Football says that Crewe Alexandra can survive in a changing environment when it comes to the transfer market, because we can still produce players that are good enough to play higher.

Dario told crewealex.net: “It is not so easy to find those players like we used to. You are not going to get your Geoff Thomas, David Platt or Neil Lennon on a free transfer anymore.

“We tried to get Vardy when he was at Halifax. We offered £50,000, £60,000 at the time but they wanted over £100,000. I wasn’t willing to pay that at the time because he was in trouble off the pitch but he has managed to turn his life around and has become a terrific player.

“We also wanted Che Adams but Sheffield United were prepared to go way beyond what we were willing to offer, so those non-league players have become more expensive. The market has changed in that respect.

“We have to keep on producing our own outstanding players. We have got to coach them through and then handle them correctly in their quest to make that impact in the first team.

“At a recent supporters meeting there were a few murmurings after I said that producing players is more important than winning games. I explained to him the importance of producing players for our survival and set that without it we wouldn’t have the Stadium like it is, the training ground or the players we have had in the past.

He added: “You only have to look around the place now to see how important producing players has been for us. Now the trick is to do both on a consistent basis.”