Thursday 13 December 2012 13:14, UK
Crewe boss Steve Davis intends to follow the club's proud tradition of promoting academy players into the first team.
The Railwaymen have a long history of giving youngsters opportunities, with previous boss Dario Gradi nurturing the likes of Danny Murphy, Dean Ashton and Seth Johnson. Manchester United's Nick Powell and Aston Villa's Ashley Westwood were mainstays in the squad that Davis led to promotion last season, and the Alex boss insists the club's philosophy will not change under his guidance. He told Crewe's official website: "I think we had 10 players from our academy on the team sheet at Preston and all the substitutes were under the age of 20. "There were one or two there who have yet to make their debuts, but it shows our commitment to developing young players. "It will be a good experience for them to visit places like Preston, so when their chance does come along they won't be fazed by anything. "We will continue to bring our players through and if they are good enough then they will play. I have always thought that. "Of course, it is harder to bring them through as quickly as we are now in a higher league and it is a step up, but all you can do is be patient with them and wait for them to be ready."
