David Artell says that he won’t alter the club’s philosophy which is to provide our own young players with an opportunity to try and make the break through into the professional game.
Despite a difficult season in League One, Artell has still been keen to promote from within he club’s own Academy, with the likes of Zac Williams, Connor O’Riordan, Joel Tabinor, Connor Salisbury and Sean Lawton all involved with the first-team squad.
Hopefully, that experience of playing in the men’s game will enhance their development quicker.
Artell told the club’s official website: “The club has always worked in cycles. We are at the beginning of another cycle and we have to accept that is the way it is. That is no excuse for the way the season has gone and no-one is hurting from it more than me but we have to continue working and developing our own.
“There is no other club in the country, I would probably go as far as say in Europe, that gives young players more of a chance than us. We put them in younger, stick with them and continue to give them those opportunities.
“People forget that it took Charlie Kirk 50 plus games to score his first goal and he has developed into a fantastic player, who is in the Championship now. Owen Dale went out on loan. Perry Ng went out on loan. The ones we have in the team went out on loan too, your Offords, Billy Sass-Davies, Josh Lundstram, Oli Finney went out and had a tough time.
“That’s what it is about, about them developing and getting that experience whether here with us or on different path out on loan for a bit - but it takes time and the pathway is mapped out for them.
“It is up to them to grab those chances as well but there is no other club like this one who present our own with their chances. I had a parent say to me in a meeting that we don’t give the younger ones opportunities. I nearly fell off my chair. It was laughable really.
He added: “There is no other club who do what we do and with that you are going to get that inconsistency at times and it can be a painful process because it does take time, but we have to stick with it and come through the other side.”