Under-21s head coach Shannon Ruth has said that tonight’s Bristol Street Motors Trophy last 16 match against Reading is a huge occasion for his team.
The game, which is taking place at the Amex, marks the furthest our under-21s have got in the competition since they first entered it in the 2016/17 season.
Those two factors make it a massive night for the under-21s, according to Ruth.
“The opportunity to play at the Amex is a really positive one for the players. What we try and ensure is that hopefully the first time they play at the Amex is not their first-team debut," Shannon said.
“If we can get them an opportunity to play at the stadium before it gives them a good experience and a familiarity with their surroundings. And then to have a crowd there and an opportunity to get to a quarter-final that is certainly the biggest occasion for the team this season and probably for the 21s for the past few years.
“We haven’t got to this stage before, so we are very aware of what this game means.”
Ruth’s team have enjoyed a positive season so far, with his team in good form in Premier League 2 and a number of players getting their chance out on loan as well as their progress in the knockout competition.
“I always try as under-21s head coach to make sure we are ticking three areas. The first of course is the ability for academy graduates or under-21s to try and affect the first-team squad or support in a training capacity.
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“The second would obviously be our games programme and ensuring we are getting to the latter stages of competitions. It’s not necessarily the winning that is important but it’s the experiences that come with that. The further you get through competitions the better experiences the players get, which means hopefully under pressure they can perform better. So we have to make sure we can get them in those situations.
“And then lastly ensuing the players can attract good loans and can move into [loans manager] Gordon Greer’s group in the loan pathway and get the best post possible opportunities when that time is right.
“Looking at those three key areas over the first six months of the season, we are really pleased with our work so far. We feel we have been able to tick a few of those boxes.”