Alex Morris has no concerns about Zac Williams after he was subbed before half-time at Carlisle United, because he is ‘miles ahead of the learning curve’ for his age.

The 18-year-old, who has already made 32 appearances for Crewe Alexandra, was withdrawn just before the interval at Brunton Park.

The homegrown defender had picked up a yellow card and the boss was worried about him receiving another.

But Morris said he has nothing but confidence in Williams.

He explained: “What nobody should forget is that Zac is still so young.

“If you look at when players tend to break through and put 30-40 games together on the spin for this club, it’s usually when they are 19 or 20. But Zac has already played so much first-team football from the age of 17.

“There’s absolutely nothing to worry about in terms of Zac’s development, he’s miles ahead of the learning curve.

“He had a bit of a wobble last week and it was the right thing to bring him off because we were concerned he was in danger of getting another card which would not only have affected him but also had a huge effect on the team.

“But he’s been absolutely fine about it. As with all the young players, it’s about talking to them, because we have to mentor them as well as coach and manage them.

“We’ve known Zac for a long time so we know what makes him tick and what we need to manage with him to ensure he keeps improving.”