David Artell has told the club’s official website that his Crewe Alexandra side will continue to contain the influence and principles of the club’s Academy.

Crewe had a fantastic fourteen home grown players involved last season and Artell stresses that it is the hard work beneath the first-team that produces that end goal.

Artell told crewealex.net: “To have 14 players in League One and being an important part of our first team squad is a success.

“I am just the tip of the iceberg. There is a lot of hard work that goes into producing these young players. It goes down to the 6s, 7s and 8s with Matty and Sam and then through to the likes of Ryan, Will, Aidan, Belly and Jacko, even before they get to me, Kenny and Alex.

“They are wonderful coaches and staff behind the scenes that make it all happen. They develop them and we try and turn them into the finished article to handle competitive, men’s football.

“We are all on the same hymn sheet and they get terrific support from board level. They understand the impact the Academy has on the whole club and how it provides the framework of what we do at first team level.

He added: “The board place that trust in us and the Academy and we will continue to do that for as long as I am manager here and I am sure it will carry on, long after I’m gone as well.”