In his latest interview, Manager Keith Hill has praised the maturity of his young squad.
With the likes of Jamie Allen, Joe Bunney, Callum Camps and Joe Rafferty having already notched up well over 100 senior appearances each, and Andy Cannon hot on their heels, last season also saw Harrison McGahey gaining valuable time on the pitch, while Mark Kitching, Aaron Morley and Oliver Rathbone cut their professional teeth during the 2016-17 campaign.
The list, in fact, could go on and on, and with the arrival this summer of Reece Brown, Brad Inman, Brendan Moore and Jordan Williams, Hill is pleased with how the squad is looking ahead of the pre-season trip to Tenerife.
“We’re looking at the squad now and it’s a lot more mature,” said Hill.
“We feel as through the squad is in a much healthier place, both depth wise and experience wise, so we’re in front of ourselves.
“Last season, Mark Kitching and Aaron Morley had their introduction to league football, while Harrison McGahey played his first full season in senior football, as did Oliver Rathbone, who I thought was exceptional.
“From a mature point of view and learning from last season’s experiences, those players should be better and I expect them to be better, and they do look better.
“Age is not an indicator of experience. Knowledge is, and that’s what we’re giving players all the time. A 35-year-old is not always experienced because his knowledge might not be as full as someone like Jamie Allen.
“I feel as though Jamie is a very intelligent footballer but I’ve met 35-year olds who know nothing about the game or how to pass what knowledge they do have onto younger players.
“And that’s the difference for me. I believe we are building experienced players.”
Watch the full interview on iFollow.