Crewe manager Gudjon Thordarson is eager to see more academy players break into the first team.
Byron Moore is the only youngster from the Alex youth system to start a League Two game this season, prompting criticism from a section of supporters.
"They've stepped up their effort and they're working harder than they used to," Thordarson told BBC Radio Stoke.
"They are key to the club and if people think there are only 11 players that make up the team, they're wrong."
Academy products Shaun Miller, James Bailey, Luke Murphy and Ashley Westwood have found their first-team opportunities limited at the start of the campaign.
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