Coyle goes on player watch
9:50am Saturday 20th March 2010 in Sport By Marc Higginson
OWEN Coyle is keeping close tabs on the young players he has allowed to leave the Reebok on loan.
Mark Connolly, Tope Obadeyi, Chris Stokes and Danny Ward are all plying their trade elsewhere this afternoon but the Wanderers boss insists he will be monitoring their progress closely.
“We see every single game they play,” he said. “I love to see young players who are not quite ready for the first team go out and get some first team experience. It really can be the making of them.
“It’s fine playing in the reserves but nothing beats the atmosphere or the experience of league games, it can only help them.”
Connolly, the £1million signing from Wolves, was moved out to Coyle’s former club St Johnstone but is being kept out of the first team picture by Michael Duberry.
Obadeyi has made five appearances for League Two leaders Rochdale, scoring once, and Ward has been a great success at Swindon Town, where he has bagged five goals for the League One club.
Stokes joined Crewe last week, making his senior debut against Torquay, and Coyle was impressed by the young defender’s first outing.
“It’s a footballing environment there, and he’s definitely got that in his locker,” he said.
“He’s 18 years of age and he wanted to take a penalty last week. I think someone more experience nudged him off it in the end, but I love the fact he wanted to take it.”
Coyle is hoping that once his short-term aim of keeping Wanderers in the Premier League is achieved, that he can improve the number of younger players coming through the club’s ranks to first team level.
“Ultimately, I really want us to start bringing more of our own players through,” he added.
click2find
