EFL Trophy progress shows 'what Crewe is all about'

Ryan Dicker coached in Crewe's academy and was in charge of the club's under-18s side before becoming assistant manager in August 2023

Crewe Alexandra assistant boss Ryan Dicker says the performance of their young team in reaching the knockout stage of the EFL Trophy typifies "what the club is all about".

An Alex matchday squad containing 12 academy graduates, including five from the under-18 set-up, beat Harrogate Town 1-0 thanks to a goal from 19-year-old Welsh midfielder Calum Agius.

Victory took them three points clear at the top of the Northern Group E standings and guaranteed at least a top-two finish.

"Half the players were under-18s and it was an opportunity to see them thrive in this type of challenge," Dicker told BBC Radio Stoke.

Right-back Stan Dancey and midfielder Owen Taylor made their debuts as part of the starting XI before centre-back Oli Armstrong, midfielder Will Perry and forward Luca Moore made their first appearances for Crewe from the bench in the second half.

Captain Ryan Cooney, 24, was the oldest player in the Alex side and one of only two who started the win over Gillingham in League Two three days earlier.

"It sums up what the football club is all about," Dicker said. "Developing young players, seeing them come through the system and whether they are good enough to get and take these opportunities."

Crewe have a well established and successful history of producing talented youngsters who go on progress further up the football pyramid.

Former England striker Dean Ashton, ex-Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy and former Aston Villa and Burnley midfielder Ashley Westwood are three of the most high-profile graduates of the Crewe academy.

Others, like forward Nick Powell and midfielder Luke Murphy went on to join Manchester United and Leeds United respectively.

Ashley Westwood moved to Aston Villa for £2m in the summer of 2012 after 138 appearances for Crewe

It is that well-trodden path of progression that Dicker hopes will excite everyone and inspire the current crop of youngsters to emulate, at first, the academy graduates regularly in the first team.

"It'll be good for supporters, the management team, and the board to try to see who the next one to come through is - who's going to be the next Matus Holicek, Joel Tabiner and Zac Williams," he said.

"And go on to be the next Nick Powell, Ashley Westwood and Luke Murphy.

"These are the nights they have to showcase themselves and grasp it with both hands.

"They should be proud of their achievements and where they've go to so far but it means nothing.

"They have to keep pushing on and working hard and the ones who work the hardest will hopefully come through at the end."