SAM Allardyce is attempting to bridge the generation gap as he continues to prepare for the Premiership.

The Wanderers' boss, still active in the transfer market, is targeting players in their mid to late twenties to give his squad a major boost for the new season.

"I've got to start filling my squad up with younger players," the Reebok chief confirmed today.

"We've got some great young players and we've got some great experienced players but that 22 to 30 mark is not an area we are well blessed with."

Wanderers are well stocked and have been well-served by players now in their 30s and have a crop of supremely talented young players - 23 and under - who have already proved themselves in the top flight.

But they have precious few in the age range when players are generally regarded as being at their best.

"The peak of an outfield player's career is 24 to 30," Allardyce acknowledges. "They can go beyond that these days pretty easily if they are not troubled too much by injury. The fatigue levels are higher these days but you're not always looking at players playing all 38 games, whereas in my day you were always looking to get through all 42 games, which we used to have.

"That's why I'm looking for a bigger squad and a better squad which will give me the opportunity to make changes I feel are necessary. The squad must be big enough and talented enough."

Allardyce has gone some way to bridging the gap already with his first three signings of the summer - Jay Jay Okocha (28), Delroy Facey (22) and Bulent Akin (23) - lowering the average age of his squad. But he will add to his pool of thirtysomethings if he is successful in persuading Gudni Bergsson (36) and Youri Djorkaeff (34) to return to the Reebok.

Hence his determination to focus on the mid-twenty range as he continues to trawl the markets, at home and abroad.

The thirtysomethings: Kevin Poole (37), Colin Hendry (37), Gudni Bergsson (36), Mike Whitlow (34), Dean Holdsworth (33), Stig Tofting (32), Per Frandsen (32), Bruno N'Gotty (31), Simon Charlton (30), Nicky Southall (30), Steve Banks (30), Bo Hansen (30).

The Young Ones: Kevin Nolan (20), Jermaine Johnson (21), Delroy Facey (22), Ricardo Gardner (23), Michael Ricketts (23), Bulent Akin (23).

The In Betweens: Gareth Farrelly (26), Jussi Jaaskelainen (27), Henrik Pedersen (27), Jay Jay Okocha (28), Anthony Barness (29).