Boss praise for Bell's Youth Team as they progress in the FA Youth Cup
David Artell says that the ‘future remains bright at Crewe’ after witnessing the Youth team’s fully deserved win over Hull City to progress in the FA Youth Cup. The Alex deserved to have had a more comfortable time of it, but were guilty of missing some good chances and were frustrated by Hull’s last ditch defending.
Crewe eventually won the tie late on with Matus Holicek scoring with six minutes remaining on the clock.
Artell has reiterated that as long as the club’s youth products continue to develop then we will look to give them opportunities within the first-team set-up. Connor O’Riordan and Joel Tabiner were both involved against Doncaster Rovers in the Papa John’s Trophy and defender Zac Williams has recently broken in the starting XI and clearly shown his potential with some excellent performances.
David told the club’s official website: “The future is bright and as long as the Academy keeps producing them then I will look to give them opportunities. I think that our kids are at the best Academy in the country for giving their younger players a clear pathway to the first team.
“It is okay if you are the best-of-the-best at an elite Cat 1 Academy, but how many of them are that? If you are not then you tend to fall by the wayside unfortunately.
“Aidan (Callan) showed me a stat the other day that said we were the 11th best Academy in the country for productivity, of those players who have progressed to play first-team football somewhere.
“All those clubs above us were Cat 1 clubs and they are streets ahead of us when it comes to what they spend on their Academies. They spend fortunes compared to us, so to be 11th is some achievement.
“We do produce players and I will always look to play them if they are ready We try and expose them to experiences, be that going out on loan to play in mens football or to play in our Papa John’s games against what is virtually Doncaster’s first team.
He added: “I will look to do my bit, even when I am at the sharp end as first team manager, which is never easy but I understand the responsibility I have to do that.
"The future at this football club always looks bright, as long as we have the Academy."