David Artell says he is not surprised that midfielder Tom Lowery has continued to be one of the club’s most consistent performers in difficult circumstances.

The talented playmaker was left out of the Crewe side at the beginning of the season due to his unwillingness to sign a new contract, but after returning to the side back in October, he became a key figure once again.

The 24-year-old will become a free agent this summer but his focus has remained on helping the club as much as possible in our fight against relegation. It looks like being a sad ending to his Crewe career for the former Academy graduate, but the boss has praised his professionalism throughout the season.

Artell told the club’s official website: “Tom has always been a good pro and he has a lot of experience now. He has played 100, 150 games for this club, so he is seasoned now and has always remained professional.

“He has won man-of-the-match a few times. Some I have agreed with, others I haven’t. There was one game when Luke Offord was the best player on the pitch by a country mile and he should have got it but that is the way it is sometimes.

“Tom has got on with things. Never sulked and that is a great thing but I never expected anything else from him.”