Having first team players involved in the squad presents no better opportunity to learn for our under-21s, according to professional development phase coach Gary Dicker.
They are in action today (Monday) when they take on Leicester City at 3pm, with the game live on our YouTube channel.
Adam Webster played for 60 minutes in our last Premier League 2 match against Everton, which Dicker says was a huge opportunity for our young players to learn.
âAdam showed that he got ready for our under-21s game the same way he does for a Premier League match. When the under-21s look back on that, theyâll learn from it.
Adam Webster played for 60 minutes in the under-21s last match.
âHis decision making, understanding the game in the moment, picking out the right pass, organising and speaking when he had to was exactly what the boys needed to see. We get players who come down and enjoy doing so. They can see that weâre trying to replicate the first teamâs philosophy as much as possible.
âIt was a good for our players to see the levels that youâve got to be at in every game at the top, you canât just switch it on and off. Whichever player drops down, theyâve got the right attitude.â
The under-21s will be aiming to pick up their first win of 2023, having lost their last three matches.
âWeâve not performed consistently over 90 minutes which I would say has hurt us the most,â Gary added. âWeâve had really good spells or halves, but football doesnât owe you anything. We were on a decent run before this and things can change quickly. Itâs about getting back to what weâre good at.â