Monday 27 April 2015 14:57, UK
Leeds head coach Neil Redfearn has taken heart from chairman Andrew Umbers' assurances that the club's latest crop of young first-team players will not be sold in the summer.
Umbers insisted last week that none of Leeds' better players will be allowed to leave at the end of the season and although his promises have been met with cynicism by some fans given all the uncertainty at Elland Road, Redfearn welcomed his comments.
"If that's what he's said and if that comes right from the top then that's fantastic news," said Redfearn, due to resolve his own future at the club following next Saturday's final game against Rotherham.
"If this club's going to be great again, which everybody wants, then these young players have got to be a part of that because they are the future.
"I've been part of a successful academy for the last six years and that includes absolutely everybody involved with the academy.
"There's people here who have helped bring these players through, people who have recruited them before I got them and these are good people.
"It would be a real achievement if we could keep this group together for the club."
Academy product Sam Byram has led the way into the first team in recent seasons, while Lewis Cook, Alex Mowatt, Charlie Taylor and Kalvin Phillips have all made the breakthrough under Redfearn.
"What you find is, the more these young players come to the fore, the more people feel together within the club," Redfearn added.
"The people who have done the work, Terry Potter recruiting, Steve Holmes (head of recruitment and development), Andy Wood (academy coach), people like that, Adam Underwood academy manager.
"These people have been part of the process and it's a real bond to bring these people together and it's important to the club."
