LIGHT FOR YOUNGSTERS - REDFEARN

LIGHT FOR YOUNGSTERS - REDFEARN

Head coach says the club's young players are making competition healthy...

United head coach Neil Redfearn believes there is now "light at the end of the tunnel" for the club’s young players as they look to force a way into his first-team plans.

This season has already seen Lewis Cook make the step-up from the Academy to join fellow Thorp Arch graduates Sam Byram and Alex Mowatt in the first-team, while the likes of Chris Dawson and Charlie Taylor have also been around the squad.

Redfearn, who initially joined the club’s Academy in 2009, is a keen advocate of promoting from the youth system and says the young players are making competition in his squad healthy, with Kalvin Phillips and Alex Purver among those knocking on the door.

"The good thing is, there’s light for these boys now and they can see that. They’re capable," said Redfearn.

"Kalvin Phillips is another prime example, Alex Purver’s got a squad number now and people like that.

"There’s light for these lads at the end of the tunnel because they are capable.

"I think that to be fair to the senior boys, they’ve accepted that and they know that these lads now are going to come into the squad.

"They know they’re going to make up the squad and there’s now good competition and I think it’s making it healthy."

However, the head coach was reluctant to put too much pressure on his young squad by outlining any targets for what they can achieve.

"I think we’ve got to take it each step of the way, stride by stride and not look too far ahead," he said.

"They are young, they are learning, they’ve got great potential but it’s a tough, unforgiving league is the Championship.

"Every game has got to be taken on its merit, we know that. But the more exposure they get to first-team football and the more confidence they get out of winning games, they’re going to get better and better as players.

"The good thing is that they’re going to be the mainstays of this side for years to come."

Redfearn also praised the attitude of the club’s senior players, who he says are now having to step up because of the youngsters pushing them for places in the team.

"I have to say, the seniors have played a good part in this," said the head coach. "Even the ones that are now out of the squad, they’re realising now there’s real competition.

"I look in training and they’re really getting to the bar now. They know they’ve got to go and compete because these young lads are raising the bar."

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