Ashley Westwood played 38 times for Crewe Alexandra last season

Ashley Westwood has signed an improved contract with Crewe that will keep him at the Alexandra Stadium until 2013.

The midfielder, 20, won the player of the year award last season, his first full campaign with the first team.

Westwood agreed a two-and-a-half year contract in December, but that deal has now been extended by a further year due to his impressive performances.

"He's worked extremely hard and I'm expecting that he'll improve," manager Dario Gradi told BBC Radio Stoke.

Westwood played 38 times for Crewe last season, scoring six goals, and has been touted by Gradi as a possible skipper of the team following the departure of John Brayford to Derby.

"If he starts shouting a bit more, he could become the captain," he added. "I'd rather give one of our existing players the captaincy rather than to one of the players that we've brought in."

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