Blackburn Rovers youngsters aim to impress at Ewood Park

Billy Barr’s in-form side will be favourites to progress, but the Rovers’ boss knows that while his young charges will be excited about using the first team facilities, his staff also have to caution against nerves getting the better of them.

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Rovers’ under-18s are fourth in the Under-18s Premier League table and they head into cup action on the back of two outstanding results on the road, drawing 2-2 with league leaders Manchester City before a 2-0 win at Manchester United in their last outing.

And Barr believes those results will add to the confidence of his side.

“The lads have done well, they’ve worked hard from day one and got the results their hard work and performances have merited,” he said.

“It’s building confidence all the time. There have been more good performances and, even in defeat at times we’ve been happy with the way we’ve tried to play.”

Such has been the success of the under-18s in recent seasons that some of Barr’s squad are now regulars for the under-21 side.

Ryan Nyambe has already made his first-team debut and has been featuring for the under-21s this term, while 18-year-old Scott Wharton now captains the under-21 side.

But those who have already stepped up could be back in Barr’s side tomorrow, with the former Carlisle United and Wrexham caretaker manager given free reign to pick his strongest available side to try and secure a fourth round clash with Leicester City.

“The thing at times that goes against us is also a bonus and it’s the amount of players from the under-18s who are in the in the under-21s team,” said Barr.

“We’ve regularly got five or six that are missing from the squad that have gone up already and are now hopefully on the way to getting professional contracts.

“They (Nyambe and Wharton) went up before I got the job with the under-18s but we’ve had others since who have gone up, the likes of Charlie Doyle and Joe Rankin-Costello. We’ve had various others that gone up and trained and been involved in squads.

“As long as that is happening it’s great and the ones who are left know they have to perform because the others might come back at any point.

“The squad will be as strong as it can be apart from the long-term injuries of Callum Hendry and Alex Curran, so we’ll have everyone to choose from.”

Striker Lewis Mansell is the latest to make the jump, and he will be looking to add to his impressive goalscoring record this season tomorrow. The 18-year-old has struck two hat-tricks for Barr’s side this season, scoring 10 goals in 10 games, and since making the step up to the under-21s he has scored four goals in as many starts.

“He’s done really well for the under-18s and gone up and done well for the under-21s, scoring goals for them as well,” said Barr.

For most of this Rovers under-18s side it will be their first taste of action at Ewood Park.

And they will be looking to end Rovers’ poor run in this competition, having lost at the third round stage in the last three seasons.

Last year they lost 4-1 at Tottenham, the year before they went down 1-0 at Cardiff City and in 2012/13 they were beaten 3-1 at home by possible fourth round opponents Leicester City.

But the 2011/12 campaign was impressive as Rovers reached the final, losing over two legs to Chelsea having knocked East Lancashire rivals Burnley out at the semi-final stage.

Raheem Hanley and John O’Sullivan featured in that side, as did Jack O’Connell, who signed for Brentford in the summer.

While Barr will be treating it as just another game, he knows for his players it will be a different experience.

“For the staff it’s just another game, for the players it has a little bit more to it,” he said. “It’s playing on the first team pitch, being in the first team changing rooms and preparing the way that hopefully further down the line they will be doing in their careers.

“But for the staff we need to make sure we don’t let the occasion override the performance we need.”

And Barr hopes he can caution against the occasion getting to his players.

“That’s always the fear,” he said. “Southend are coming up, they’re going well in their own league and they’ll be looking to cause an upset on the day.

“Everything they want us to be I’m hoping we’re not going to be. We need to be bang at it from minute one and not give them any chances to get into their game and get into their stride.”

“There’s a lot of excitement but also a lot of disappointment for others who aren’t involved, which is unfortunate, but it’s the nature of the game.

“We said from day one we’re all together. Unfortunately we can only pick 16 for a squad.”

While Barr has his sights set firmly on tomorrow’s cup clash, the bigger picture is the target of getting more academy graduates into the first team picture.

Nyambe, Raya and O’Sullivan have all experienced first team action this season, alongside the likes of Adam Henley and Grant Hanley who have come through the ranks to become regulars.

“We hope that will continue to be the case and we can start getting players back in and into the first team. Hopefully there’s another Phil Jones around the corner that can be sold for the benefit of the club,” said Barr.