Blackpool boss warns that kids cannot be rushed

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Blackpool beat Ipswich Town 2-0 on Tuesday night to reach the quarter-final stage of the FA Youth Cup, prompting calls from supporters to blood some of the youngsters in the first team.

But Bowyer, who hailed their win as “magnificent”, issued a warning for caution.

He said: “You’ve got to be careful because people get a bit carried away and start asking why six or seven of them aren’t playing in your first team.

“The gap is still a massive one and unfortunately for us, we don’t have a developmental squad that breaches that gap.

“We’ve got Rowan Roache who we’ve dipped in and dipped out and he’s been training with us all season.

“He’s come on and made his debut and we expect him to feature between now and the end of the season.

“You have to remember he’s still only 17 and you have to put him in at the right time.

“It was a magnificent achievement though. The spirit and character they showed to go and win four games away from home has just been fantastic.

“It’s really pleasing to see a young group of lads coming together and it’s been against the odds because they were playing against higher league opposition once again.

“They’ve had a right good go and it just shows you what can be achieved when you’ve got that collective spirit.

“It’s certainly got the interest of the senior players, a number of them had watched it on a link on Facebook.

“It just shows you what is capable when you have that character. We’ve got to take example of that.”

Blackpool will face a trip to either Blackburn Rovers or Nottingham Forest in the next round, and Bowyer insists he has no preference who they will face seeing he has links to both clubs.

He added: “I’d love them to play Nottingham Forest because my daughter lives in Nottingham so I’d be able to kill two birds with one stone and pay her a visit, take her out for tea and then go to the game.

“But in all seriousness, it’s going to be great for them whether they go to Blackburn or they go to Forest. They’re both great grounds.

“Who’s to say they can’t go to either of those sides and beat them? They’ve shown and proved they’re capable of it already and the confidence and belief among the boys will be massive because of what they’ve achieved so far.”