Westy Pens New Deal

Ashley Westwood has joined the growing list of youngsters to extend their contracts at Gresty Road, adding an extra year to his current deal meaning he’s contracted with the Alex till 2014.

It’s a major boost to the Railwaymen having seen Westy linked only recently with a big money move to Nottingham Forest having also been linked with Derby County and Sheffield United in his short career.

The 20 year old joins Matt Tootle, Luke Murphy and Ajay Leitch-Smith on a new contract and there’s more to come. Shaun Miller has already been offered an extension to his contract to keep him here to 2013 whilst you can bet your life on the likes of Adam Dugdale, Byron Moore and Danny Shelley receiving offers before the season is out.

There’s also the matter of the non-academy players with Patrick Ada, Mat Mitchel-King, Danny Blanchett, Calvin Zola, Joel Grant and Clayton Donaldson all out of contract at the end of this year. Though Dario expects the latter three to turn down any new contract due to reduced wages, the futures of Ada, Mitchel-King and Blanchett remain up in the air.

Meanwhile, Dario says the club have offered four teenagers in the club’s Under-14 academy team long term deals that guarantee them scholarships when they reach 16 and admitted they are looking to do the same with players as young as 11 years old. The move comes as the club find it increasingly difficult to attract and keep hold of youngsters who get attracted by the big Premiership clubs at earlier and earlier ages.