STANLEY midfielder Steve Flitcroft is hoping to follow in Brett Ormerod's footsteps.

Ormerod was released by Rovers, moved to Stanley, got picked up by Blackpool and then sealed a dream £1.75m move to Southampton last week.

Flitcroft has started on the same lines after being released by the Rovers Academy last season and moving into the non-League scene with Accrington.

Now he is hoping to grab the attention of the many watching scouts and seal a return to League football.

"With Brett moving into the Premiership, it shows what can be done," said the 20-year-old.

"With his move, more scouts are now coming to watch Accrington and obviously that offers us all a better chance of getting picked up.

"When I was released from Rovers I still had hopes of moving to another league club and went to Crewe and Stockport.

"I never heard anything so I came to Stanley where I got the chance of regular first team football.

"I am enjoying it and it is good being involved in first team football.

"It is different to the football at the Academy, it is more physical but I am getting used to it.

"The lads are a good bunch and things are going well at the moment.

"And Brett's move has given us the confidence to know that there is still a chance of making it back into League football."

Stanley don't mind selling the players. Chairman Eric Whalley and manager John Coleman have always said that they are giving the young lads a stage to impress on while the lads are helping out the Reds in the meantime.

With Peter Cavanagh, who was released from Liverpool last season, and local lad Jonathan Smith also receiving rave reviews and playing well, it has worked in Stanley's favour.

They are currently third in the UniBond Premier Division having gone on a run of one loss in ten games - and that was on penalties to Altrincham in the FA Umbro Trophy ('That doesn't count' says the Reds boss!)

Flitcroft, the younger brother of Rovers star Garry and Rochdale midfielder Dave, admits the Stanley experience has so far been good and will stand him in good stead for the future if he makes the break into the League.

"When I was at the Academy all the lads were obviously the same age. Now I have the chance to learn from older players.

"Paul Mullin and Paul Burns have been brilliant. The older ones look after the youngsters. When you make a mistake they tell you not to worry and to forget about it.

"They just keep talking all the time and they are a big help on the pitch."

And he has set himself a goal tally - he has currently got six this season. "The aim is for ten. I don't think that is a bad scoring record from midfield so if I get to ten by the end of the season I will be happy."

Usually a regular, Flitcroft came on as a sub in Stanley's 3-1 UniBond Cup win against Radcliffe midweek which meant they had qualified for the last eight of the UniBond League Cup.

"I was suffering from a bruised foot, it caused me trouble with passing but I will be okay for Hucknall."

That's the next game for Stanley and they could face a potential banana skin as Premier Division strugglers Hucknall Town have got a new manager at the helm.

One-time Rovers striker Phil Starbuck, who also lists Nottingham Forest, Huddersfield and Sheffield United among his former clubs, has been appointed into the hot seat. He faces a tough task as Hucknall are currently second bottom of the table having lost 12 of their 19 matches this season.

"No matter whether they have a new manager or not it is always difficult going there. We have got to make sure we keep our run going," said Reds manager Coleman.

"The run has bred confidence especially as we came from behind against Radcliffe which we haven't done in too many games.

"We are improving but there is still a long way to go."

Former Bury frontman Lutel James sat out the first of his three match suspension against Radcliffe and it may be left to Simon Carden and Paul Mullin to start up front.

So far they haven't done too badly - both have scored three goals in the last two games.

And this will be a boost as Stanley had their £10,000 bid for Burcough striker Lee McEvilly rejected - although Coleman still harbours hopes that he will get the 19-year-old.

"He would have been a good acquisition. We are hoping they will reconsider. They may come back to us, you never know."