Goalkeeper coach Fred Barber continues to enjoy working with the Club's keepers & has been impressed with the improvements shown.

Ben Garratt, Dave Richards & Will Jaaskelainen are the three professional stoppers on the books & Barber believes all three are continuing to improve.

Richards starting the season as Crewe first choice & that inspired Garratt to win back his place in the side with the hotly contested right to be between the Alex sticks ongoing.

Waiting in the wings too is Will Jaaskelainen who Barber believes is on a massive upward curve thanks to his loan spells out playing mens football in non-league with the Alex coach tipping the youngster to emulate his father Jussi in the future.

Barber said: "I think they've improved, the goalkeepers.

"Dave [Richards] has made big strides & for him to start the season off ahead of Ben [Garratt] has been healthy for Ben too.

"It's made Ben think he's not 'safe' as the number one goalkeeper & that he's got to fight for his place. That's worked I think because Ben has done well & kept more clean sheets than he ever has done.

"I've always liked Will as well, I had him at ten years old as well whilst I was at Bolton. I persuaded his dad to let me bring him here with the promise that he'd go out on loan & play a lot of mens football, which he's done with Loughborough, Buxton & Nantwich.

"He's coming on leaps & bounds & I think he'll be a top goalkeeper. I can see everything in him that I could see in his dad. I can see a young Jussi Jaaskelainen.

"To have three good quality goalkeepers all training together & pushing each other can only be beneficial & we hope that then rubs off on the younger goalkeepers coming through the academy as well."