Academy boss John Pemberton welcomes John Sheridan’s plans for Chesterfield youngsters

The Chesterfield academy boss, who took over the first team as caretaker for three games before Sheridan’s arrival, believes the club’s youngsters need to play regular football.

And he’d rather they did that together, in Spireites colours, than headed elsewhere on loan.

“It’s something I think the club is desperate for,” he said.

“Levi (Amantchi) went into the first team early doors (last season), but he was always going to get to a stage where he needed to be taken out and he needs to develop.

“Jamie Sharman was another one, Jack Holmes, Luke Rawson.

“They’re players who, when we don’t have the 23s, they’re having to go and play football away from the club.

“It’s nice sometimes to keep them all together and bring them through together.”

For Pemberton, a development squad would be a happy medium between academy football and senior football.

Town got rid of their reserve side in 2017, leaving a gulf between the youth set up and what, for the past three seasons, has been a first team fighting for their lives in League One, League Two and then the National League.

“That’s the importance of the 23s, the jump doesn’t become too big, they don’t have to make it too quickly,” said Pemberton.

“It’s very difficult to put young players into what has been a relegation fight.”