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Wanderers have been given all the ammunition they need to be a success in the FA Youth Cup tonight.
Jake Turner, Alex Samizadeh, Jack Earing and Cole Lonsdale have been made available for selection for the Under-18s as they host Blackpool in the first round.
Coach Nicky Spooner believes he will find out more about his players in a more pressured environment, as fans file into the Macron Stadium for the first of two big cup showpieces this week.
The former full-back played in the FA Youth cup alongside the likes of Alan Stubbs, Neil Fisher, Mike Jeffrey and Jason McAteer in the early 90s and believes the experience is crucial for his players’ development.
“Some players will stand tall and others wilt,” he told The Bolton News. “As coaches, it will be really interesting to see which way they go.
“The floodlights, the fans, the build-up, it is all very different from what we know in the league. Some of the lads will have sampled the stadium having played for the Under-23s, but for others it will be the first time.
“Straight after the game on Saturday the gaffer told us we will be given his full support with players and it will definitely help to have the full group together for the first time this season.”
Wanderers lost 4-3 to Exeter City last season and come up against a Blackpool side who have been going well.
But they will be able to bank on the inside know-how of Gavin McCann, who until recently was head of youth at Bloomfield Road.
Source
Jake Turner, Alex Samizadeh, Jack Earing and Cole Lonsdale have been made available for selection for the Under-18s as they host Blackpool in the first round.
Coach Nicky Spooner believes he will find out more about his players in a more pressured environment, as fans file into the Macron Stadium for the first of two big cup showpieces this week.
The former full-back played in the FA Youth cup alongside the likes of Alan Stubbs, Neil Fisher, Mike Jeffrey and Jason McAteer in the early 90s and believes the experience is crucial for his players’ development.
“Some players will stand tall and others wilt,” he told The Bolton News. “As coaches, it will be really interesting to see which way they go.
“The floodlights, the fans, the build-up, it is all very different from what we know in the league. Some of the lads will have sampled the stadium having played for the Under-23s, but for others it will be the first time.
“Straight after the game on Saturday the gaffer told us we will be given his full support with players and it will definitely help to have the full group together for the first time this season.”
Wanderers lost 4-3 to Exeter City last season and come up against a Blackpool side who have been going well.
But they will be able to bank on the inside know-how of Gavin McCann, who until recently was head of youth at Bloomfield Road.
Source