DAVID Dunn has told his Blackburn Rovers youngsters that they have to be ‘the best player every day’ if they are to force their way into the first team.

Development squad assistant Dunn and head coach Damien Johnson will be in the dugout at the Lancashire FA County Ground in Leyland tonight (7pm) as a young Rovers side takes on Oldham in the second round of the Lancashire Senior Cup.

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They played the same opposition in the Checkatrade Trophy last week at Ewood Park, drawing 2-2 with Latics and then losing a bonus point penalty shootout.

The result meant the Under-23s – who featured six first team players in the starting line-up – were dumped out in the group stages and they will be out for revenge tonight.

A number of the development squad have already tasted first team action, and Dunn says having a pathway for their progress is important if the club is to attract promising players in future.

He said: “We’ve had Scott (Wharton) play, Ryan (Nyambe) has played, Jack Doyle has been in and around it, Connor Mahoney – we’ve got a decent group. But every time they play in the Under-23s they have to make sure they are the best players.

“Terry Darracott, mine and Damien’s reserve coach, every single day in training (he’d say) you’ve got to apply yourselves right, be the best player every day, and if you have those good habits I think it carries on to match day. Where we are at the minute, we’ve got to have a pathway at the club. I think that could be a real pulling point for our recruitment.

“If we could get a few of these lads in the first team than that would be terrific for the club.

“But they have got to perform well every single game. You have to keep applying yourself and hopefully get that opportunity to go out and show people what you can do. And when you get it, you’ve got to take it.”

Anthony Stokes played in last week’s draw and afterwards praised the strength of the development squad.

He said: “You look at the two boys in midfield (Lewis Hardcastle and Willem Tomlinson), even Ryan at right-back, there’s plenty of talent in there without a shadow of a doubt.”