Boss says loans away from club would have opened Onyeka's eyes to new enviornments.

Tyreece Onyeka followed up on making his debut for the club as a late substitute against Shrewsbury Town by scoring a brace in a 4-0 win over Alsager Town in the Cheshire Senior Cup.

Onyeka has spent time out on loan at Matlock and Stalybridge this season and although those short-term moves didn’t go as well as he would have wanted in terms of consistent game time and goals, the forward has gained from the experience.

Crewe Alexandra boss David Artell said of the promising 20-year-old: “Ty has been out on loan a couple of times this season and found it difficult. Just because they go down into the non-league doesn’t mean that they are necessarily going to go there and rip trees up.

“Ty didn’t do that and he found it tough going but we would have learned a lot about competitive football and a lot about himself. He would have learned about the hustle and bustle of men’s football, what it means to everyone to win on a Saturday and experiencing that relentlessness of a Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday. That is something they don’t get playing 23s.

“Those loans don’t always work out but our players get exposed to a different environment and different coaching methods and it is good for their development.

“It is a chance for them to experience different things and cut their teeth a bit. Tyreece did that and has now found himself on the first-team pitch, making his debut.

“He has a long way to go but we will give him all the support and development time he will need to give him the best chance. It will take time but he has to continue to work hard to improve.”