First team coach Alex Morris says now is the time for the latest crop of Crewe youngsters to prosper at first team level and not just survive. Morris believes that another 12 months of maturity for the likes of Charlie Kirk, Ryan Wintle, Callum Ainley and Harry Pickering will see them make even more of an impact this coming season. The likes of Oli Finney and Tom Lowery also caught the eye at the back end of last season with their performances, with Finney winning the Breakthrough Player Award.
Ahead of this weekend’s pre-season game at Altrincham, Morris said: “There is a responsibility on them not just to survive this year, but to prosper.
"Those players are reaching the top of a cycle where we are hoping they will attract interest from other clubs, because of the volume of appearances they have made and the
“If you are attracting interest that hopefully means you are having success on the pitch, because clubs will look at players who are in winning teams.
"So it is important we develop that winning mentality. That could get us in position to win promotion, and players could be sold on for fees we think reflect the time and effort we have put into them.
The coach added: “This season will be very important in that sense, and next season too. It’s a two-year window of real importance. “