Crisis-hit Reading open Derby County door to aid Paul Warne transfer plan
Paul Warne believes entering the newly formed National League Cup will give Derby County's academy aces more exposure - and may help lead to loan moves in the future.
The Rams are eager to send more young players to gain experience of men's football to help aid their development. Ben Radcliffe's move to Gateshead is already reaping dividends after the 20-year-old centre-back scored in the 2-0 win over Boston United and secured the man of the match award.
Derby enjoyed equal success with Dajaune Brown who scored 10 goals in 20 games for Gateshead last season and is now part of the first-team squad.
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Warne is eager for more players to enjoy similar experiences but says exposure is important for clubs to see what they are capable of. And now Derby have the chance to do that this season after they joined the National League Cup after troubled Reading pulled out of the competition.
It will see the Rams enter an under-21s team as part of a Premier League initiative to help develop talent and Warne said: "First and foremost, Dajaune and Ben have both done well at Gateshead because they're both good players.
"It's a good relationship in the fact they've come for our players and they thought that they were going to play. I think that's the best way to put it. Regarding loans, I buzz off them.
"I think the relationship with Gateshead is good and I think Ben's a really good player who has played in the league before, so I didn't expect him to struggle with the standard because he's a strong lad as well.
"But I would like to loan more players out but I don't want it to work the way of we phone a club up and go 'you need to take this player and they go okay we'll take him'. We want our players to be seen and the more games they play like The National League Cup will definitely help."