Knill was appointed Bury manager in February 2008

Bury manager Alan Knill has praised his youthful squad after their impressive start to season has seen them sitting in the automatic promotion places.

The 46-year-old made a conscious effort to recruit younger players in the summer as well as adding loan signings.

He told BBC Radio Manchester: "I think we've got two players over thirty and the rest are 26 and under.

"We have an old versus young game and the old starts at 23 so it's a really young and youthful squad."

He added: "Within that you have to be so careful with them because they are still learning so you have to rely on the players like Efe Sodje and Ryan Lowe to help mentor, teach and talk just like the coaching staff do.

"It's a long season and we're only a third of the way through it, so for the first third we've done quite well and we have to continue that."

Knill lead the club into the play-offs in his first season in charge in 2009, losing out to Shrewsbury on penalties, and looked set to repeat the feat last season before a poor end to the season saw the team finish ninth.

The Welshman added: "We fell away poorly at the end last year and we've tried to do things differently this year."

"My two wide players last year I didn't have anyone to replace them and they ran out of energy, this year we think we've recruited better so if they're feeling tired I've got players I can put in and trust.

"When I watch my team play, I've got to say, I think they're quite exciting and that's the business we're in."

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