Crewe Alexandra F.C. Academy - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Crewe Alexandra F.C.

Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...

gained a strong reputation for its youth policy

Youth system

Youth system is a sporting terminology used to refer to a youth investment program within a particular team or league, which develops and nurtures young talent in farm teams, with the vision of using them in the first team if they show enough promise, and to fill up squads numbers in some teams...

, achieving official status as a FA Youth Academy in the late 1990s. By concentrating on developing its own players the club remained profitable (a rare thing in lower division football at the time) by selling them on after they have gained experience with Crewe. The Academy is known to stress technical excellence, which accords with the aim to have the first team play attractive, passing football. Most of the club's achievement in youth development have come from former manager Dario Gradi

Dario Gradi

Dario Gradi MBE is an Italian-born English football manager and former player, who was serving as manager of the Crewe Alexandra F.C. Academy. He is a former manager of Crewe Alexandra, with whom he has been associated for almost thirty years.Gradi is notable for his 24-year first spell as manager...

, who now serves as manager of the Academy.

Players who passed through the ranks at Crewe include the England international players Geoff Thomas

Geoff Thomas

Geoff Thomas born Manchester, England is a former English footballer, who won nine caps for the full England team and captained Crystal Palace to the FA Cup final in 1990...

and David Platt and Welshman Robbie Savage

Robbie Savage

Robert William "Robbie" Savage is a football pundit and former Welsh professional footballer who played predominantly as a midfielder. During his career he captained Derby County, and also played for the Welsh national team. He now presents 606 on BBC Radio Five Live on Sunday evenings alongside...

, and Northern Ireland internationals Neil Lennon

Neil Lennon

Neil Francis Lennon is a former footballer from Northern Ireland. He is the current manager and former captain of Celtic....

and Steve Jones (Platt was the most successful, totalling more than £20 million in transfers and captaining the England team). All these were youngsters signed from other clubs, but Gradi also had considerable success in nurturing Crewe's own trainees - notably full England internationals Rob Jones, Danny Murphy, Seth Johnson

Seth Johnson

Seth Art Maurice Johnson is a former England international footballer, who is currently without a club after his second spell as a player with Derby County ended in 2007.-Playing career:...

and Dean Ashton

Dean Ashton

Dean Ashton is a former English professional footballer. He made over 240 appearances as a forward in the Football League and Premier League for Crewe Alexandra, Norwich City and , and was also capped by England. He was highly praised as a talented centre forward, but had a career frustrated by...

and Wales international David Vaughan

David Vaughan (footballer)

David Owen Vaughan is a Welsh footballer who plays for Sunderland. He plays as a midfielder.Vaughan previously played for Crewe Alexandra, where he spent seven years between 2000 and 2007...

.

Approximately 75 former youth players have also made it into the first team at Crewe.

Current squad

As of October 2010.

Graduates

Players highlighted in bold have gained international caps for their countries. Players who were signed straight to the first team from elsewhere are not included (such as former internationals Neil Lennon

Neil Lennon

Neil Francis Lennon is a former footballer from Northern Ireland. He is the current manager and former captain of Celtic....

, David Platt, Robbie Savage

Robbie Savage

, and Geoff Thomas

Geoff Thomas

Geoff Thomas born Manchester, England is a former English footballer, who won nine caps for the full England team and captained Crystal Palace to the FA Cup final in 1990...

).
Dele Adebola

Dele Adebola

Bamberdele "Dele" Adebola is a Nigerian footballer, who plays as a striker for Hull City.-Early life:...

Ben Amos

Benjamin Paul "Ben" Amos is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Manchester United. Born in Macclesfield, Cheshire, Amos began his career with Crewe Alexandra's youth academy, but joined Manchester United at the age of 11. He has spent time on loan at Peterborough United, Molde, and...

Dean Ashton
Dean Ashton
Dean Ashton is a former English professional footballer. He made over 240 appearances as a forward in the Football League and Premier League for Crewe Alexandra, Norwich City and , and was also capped by England. He was highly praised as a talented centre forward, but had a career frustrated by...

Ryan Austin

Ryan Austin (footballer)

Ryan Austin in Stoke-on-Trent is an English professional footballer playing as a Defender.After starting out as a trainee at Crewe Alexandra in 2004 he was later promoted to the first-team. He then had a successful loan spell at Burton Albion impressing manager Nigel Clough. In August 2004, he...

James Bailey

James Bailey (footballer)

James Joseph Bailey is an English footballer currently playing for Derby County in The Championship...

Lee Bell

Lee Bell is an English professional footballer who plays for Crewe Alexandra. As well as a previous spell at Crewe, he has also played for Shrewsbury Town, Burton Albion and Mansfield Town.-Career:...

Paul Bignot

Paul Junior Bignot is an English footballer who plays for Plymouth Argyle on loan from Blackpool as a defender. He made over 20 appearances in the Football League with Crewe Alexandra. His older brother Marcus was also a professional footballer.-Crewe Alexandra:Birmingham-born Bignot started his...

Junior Brown

Junior Brown (footballer)

Junior Brown is an English semi-professional footballer, currently playing for Fleetwood Town.Brown began his career at hometown club Crewe Alexandra, for whom he made a solitary appearance as substitute in a league match with Brighton on 2 February 2008.-External links:* F.C. Halifax Town...

Mark Carrington

Mark Carrington (footballer)

Mark Richard Carrington is an English professional footballer, playing most recently in the Scottish Premier League for Hamilton Academical as a central midfielder.-Crewe Alexandra:...

Max Clayton

Maximilian James Clayton is an English footballer playing as a striker for Crewe Alexandra in Football League Two.-Career:...

Chris Clements

Chris Clements (footballer)

Chris Clements is a professional English footballer who plays as a midfielder. He was last attached to Crewe Alexandra.-Career:...

Harry Davis

Harry Davis (footballer born 1991)

Harry Spencer Davis is an English footballer who plays for Crewe Alexandra of League Two.-Playing career:Davis, associated with Crewe Alexandra since the age of seven, making his first professional debut in a 1-0 League Two defeat to Bradford City at the Alexandra Stadium on 8 May 2010, having...

Maurice Doyle

Maurice Doyle is an English footballer.-Career:at the age of 9 maurice began playing football for polygon and then princess villa in the ellesmere port league, then moving after a season was picked to play for ellesmere port and cheshire,after impressing in both sides was asked to go for a trial...

Adam Dugdale

Adam Dugdale is an English footballer who currently plays in defence for League Two side Crewe Alexandra.-Crewe Alexandra:On 23 June 2010, Dugdale signed a six month deal with Crewe Alexandra.-External links:...

Paul Edwards

Paul Edwards (footballer born 1980)

Paul Edwards is an English footballer currently playing as a midfielder for Conference National side Fleetwood Town. He has made 254 appearances in the Football League....

Rob Edwards Gareth Evans

Gareth Evans (footballer born 1988)

Gareth Evans is an English professional footballer who currently plays as a striker for League Two side Rotherham United. He previously played in the Football League for Macclesfield Town.-Crewe Alexandra:...

Nick Farquharson

Nick Farquharson is an English footballer who used to belong to Crewe Alexandra.-Career:Farquharson began his career at the Crewe Alexandra academy, well known for its production of strikers...

Christopher Flynn

Christopher Flynn is a Welsh footballer who plays for Nantwich Town.-Career:Born in Market Drayton, England, Flynn is one of many players to be produced by the Crewe Alexandra production line. He first joined the club at the early age of nine, before making his way up the ranks at Crewe's academy,...

Stephen Foster

Stephen Foster (footballer)

Stephen John Foster is an English footballer who plays for Barnsley as a defender, having previously been captain.-Career:...

Steve Garvey

Steve Garvey (footballer)

Stephen Hugh Garvey is an English former professional footballer.Garvey, a winger, began his career as a trainee with Dario Gradi's Crewe Alexandra in 1991. He remained at Gresty Road for seven years, making 107 league appearances and scoring eight goals for the Railwaymen.In 1998, he moved to...

John Grant

John Grant (footballer)

John Anthony Carlton Grant is an English footballer and plays as a striker for Macclesfield Town.-Crewe Alexandra:...

Michael Higdon

Michael Higdon is an English association football player who plays as a striker for Scottish Premier League club Motherwell.-Crewe Alexandra:...

Caspar Hughes Rob Hulse

Rob Hulse

Robert William "Rob" Hulse is an English footballer who plays for Queens Park Rangers as a striker.He had primarily spent his career at second tier level, playing there with Crewe Alexandra. West Bromwich Albion, Leeds United, Sheffield United and Derby County...

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson (footballer)

Michael James Jackson is a retired English professional football defender.-Career:Jackson started his career as a trainee at Crewe Alexandra in 1992. During his development at Crewe, Jackson went on to play for his home town club Runcorn FC, during a loan spell and played several key games for...

Eddie Johnson

Eddie Johnson (English footballer)

Edward William "Eddie" Johnson is an English footballer who currently plays for Portland Timbers in Major League Soccer. He is a midfielder but has also played as a striker and has represented his country at under-20 level....

Seth Johnson
Seth Johnson
Seth Art Maurice Johnson is a former England international footballer, who is currently without a club after his second spell as a player with Derby County ended in 2007.-Playing career:...

Billy Jones Rob Jones Scott Leather

Scott Leather

Scott Ashley Leather is an English professional footballer who plays for Preston North End, as a right back.-Career:...

AJ Leitch-Smith

Jay "AJ" Leitch-Smith is a professional English footballer who plays as a forward for Crewe Alexandra.-Career:Whilst on the books at Crewe Alexandra as a youth player, Leitch-Smith was loaned out to non-League clubs Halifax Town in November 2008 and Newcastle Town in March 2009...

Matthew Lund

Matthew Charles Lund is a footballer who currently plays for Stoke City.-Stoke City:Lund started his career at Crewe Alexandra's Academy. He joined Stoke City in the summer of 2009 along with fellow Crewe team mate Ben Marshall. Unlike Marshall who went out on loan Lund stayed at Stoke and played...

Kenny Lunt

Kenneth Vincent "Kenny" Lunt is an English professional footballer, who plays for Hereford United. He is sometimes nicknamed "Lenny", as a result of a spoonerism of his name.-Crewe Alexandra:...

Nicky Maynard

Nicholas David "Nicky" Maynard is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for Bristol City.-Crewe Alexandra:...

Ben Marshall

Ben Marshall is an English footballer, currently playing for Sheffield Wednesday on loan from Premier League Side Stoke City.-Stoke City:...

Chris McCready

Christopher James "Chris" McCready is an English footballer, currently playing for Morecambe FC. He is able to play in right, left and central defence....

Shaun Miller

Shaun Robert Miller is an English football player for Crewe Alexandra. He plays as a striker.-Career:Born in Alsager, Cheshire, Miller joined Crewe Alexandra at the age of 7, he signed a professional contract with the club in June 2006 and his début followed as a substitute in an FA Cup match...

Byron Moore

Byron Curtis Moore is an English footballer currently playing for Crewe Alexandra.-Career:...

Danny Murphy Luke Murphy

Luke Murphy

Luke John Murphy is an English footballer currently playing for Crewe Alexandra as a midfielder. He made his first-team debut in December 2008, scoring his first career goal against Hartlepool United on 8 October 2008.- Club stats :...

Mike Newell

Mike Newell (footballer)

Michael Colin "Mike" Newell is an English football manager and former professional footballer. As a player he notably was a member of the Blackburn Rovers team which won the Premier League in 1995, as well also playing for Crewe Alexandra, Wigan Athletic, Luton Town, Leicester City, Everton,...

Michael O'Connor Tom Pope

Tom Pope

Thomas John "Tom" Pope is a professional English footballer who plays as a centre forward for League Two side Port Vale....

Nick Powell

Nicholas Edward Powell is a footballer playing as an attacking midfielder for Crewe Alexandra in Football League Two. He has also represented England at under-16 and under-17 levels.-Career:...

Paul Rennie

Paul Andrew Rennie was a footballer who played in The Football League for Crewe Alexandra, Stoke City and Wigan Athletic.-References:...

Mark Rivers

Mark Rivers born 26 November 1975 in Crewe is an English former professional footballer who played as a forward from 1994 until 2006 notably for Crewe Alexandra and Norwich City.-Career:...

Ben Rix

Benjamin "Ben" Rix is an English footballer who played most recently for League One side Crewe Alexandra until he was released by mutual consent on 22 January 2009. He is a midfielder.-Career:...

Gary Roberts

Gary Roberts (footballer born 1987)

Gary Steven Roberts is an English footballer who plays for League Two side Port Vale. A deep-lying playmaker, he has been praised for his vision and ball distribution skills...

Mark Roberts

Mark Roberts (footballer born 1983)

Mark Alan Roberts is an English footballer who plays for League One side Stevenage as a defender.Roberts started his career at Crewe Alexandra at the age of 11, and progressed through the youth ranks at the club; signing a professional contract with The Railwaymen at the age of 19...

James Robinson

James Robinson (footballer born 1982)

James Robinson is an English/ Australian professional footballer who currently plays for Oakleigh Cannons in the Victorian Premier League, as a Midfielder-England:...

Danny Shelley

Daniel Steven Shelley Daniel Steven Shelley Daniel Steven Shelley (born 29 December 1990 is an English footballer currently playing for Crewe Alexandra. Having been at the club since the age of 14, he made his full debut for the club in December 2008 and scored his first career goal in the FA Cup...

Peter Smith

Peter Smith (footballer born 1978)

Peter Smith in Rhuddlan, Wales, is a retired Welsh professional footballer who played as a forward for several teams in the Football League.-References:...

Neil Sorvel

Neil Sorvel is an English footballer and currently resides in his home town of Widnes. He is a midfielder. He currently plays for Northwich Victoria.-Crewe Alexandra and Macclesfield Town:...

Kevin Street

Kevin Street is an English footballer whose playing position is as a midfielder for Stafford Rangers.-Playing career:...

Ritchie Sutton

Ritchie Aidan Sutton is an English footballer who plays for Mansfield Town as a defender. He can operative as a centre-back or a full-back....

Stuart Tomlinson

Stuart Charles Tomlinson is an English football goalkeeper who plays for League Two side Port Vale. Though a solid all-round keeper, he is a particularly strong shot-stopper....

Matthew Tootle

Matthew James Anthony Tootle is a professional British footballer who plays as a defender for Crewe Alexandra.-Career:...

Phil Trainer

Phil Trainer is an English footballer who plays for AFC Telford United as a midfielder.The Wolverhampton-based player was ever present in the Oxford side until he joined AFC Telford on loan last season. Phil impressed during his loan spell and was signed on contract during the summer.-External...

Oliver Turton

Oliver Anthony Turton is an English footballer playing as a defender for Crewe Alexandra in Football League Two.-Career:...

David Vaughan
David Vaughan (footballer)
David Owen Vaughan is a Welsh footballer who plays for Sunderland. He plays as a midfielder.Vaughan previously played for Crewe Alexandra, where he spent seven years between 2000 and 2007...

Richard Walker Steve Walters

Steve Walters (footballer)

Steve Walters is an English former footballer.-Playing career:Walters began his career with Crewe Alexandra in 1989. He made his debut at 16 years and 119 days on 6 May 1989 against Peterborough United. Through the early part of the 1990s he built up 173 appearances for the club over all...

Ashley Westwood

Ashley Westwood (footballer born 1990)

Ashley Roy Westwood is a footballer playing for Crewe Alexandra.-Career:He made his Crewe debut on 28 March 2009, coming on as a second half substitute in the Football League One clash with Milwall at Gresty Road, which ended in a 1–0 loss...

Gareth Whalley

Gareth Whalley is an English born footballer who qualifies to play for the Republic of Ireland under the parentage rule.-Career:...

Owain Fôn Williams

Owain Fôn Williams is a Welsh footballer who plays as a goalkeeper who plays for Tranmere Rovers.-Crewe Alexandra:Born in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Williams joined Crewe Alexandra after impressing during a trial spell and was signed on scholarship forms in 2003...

Kyle Wilson

Kyle Wilson (English footballer)

Kyle Philip Wilson is an English footballer who is currently contracted to Welsh Premier League club, Bangor City. He has previously played for Crewe Alexandra, Macclesfield Town, FC United of Manchester and Chester FC.-Crewe Alexandra:...

Andy Woodward

Andrew Woodward is a former professional footballer who played in The Football League for Crewe Alexandra, Bury, Sheffield United, Scunthorpe United and Halifax Town.-References:...

David Wright

David Wright (footballer)

David Wright is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Crystal Palace. During his professional career, he has also played for Crewe Alexandra, Wigan Athletic and Ipswich Town, and had a loan spell at Norwich City....

Adam Yates

Adam Paul Yates is an English footballer who plays for League Two side Port Vale as a full back. He is a former semi-pro international with England....

External links

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