Burton Albion academy manager Danny Robinson reckons the club's relegation from the Championship to League One will offer players an even stronger route into the first-team.

The Brewers' senior squad had a heavy academy influence last season with Joe Sbarra, Ben Fox and Matt Palmer - before he was sold to Rotherham United in January - all tasting first-team action.

Landmark moments came for Fox and Sbarra, too. The former's first professional goal in August's win at Cardiff and the latter's stellar performance in April's defeat of Derby County spring to mind.

Reece Hutchinson's inclusion in the first-team squad against Derby for the first time indicated there are more players ready to follow in the footsteps of Fox, Sbarra et al.

Burton Albion academy manager Dan Robinson

And that's likely to be needed as Burton deal with life in the third-tier with cup competitions aplenty. The opportunities are there if the players want them with Albion set to compete in the Checkatrade Trophy and enter the FA Cup two rounds earlier.

For Robinson, it's now up to his players to decide whether they want to make the most of the chances they will have to impress Nigel Clough and co.

Speaking about the work done at the academy, this season he said: "Now it's set us a nice little platform to move forward and with where the first team are now, in League One, the pressure will be on even more to keep developing players for the first team.

"The relationship is only going to be stronger next year, and we'll see if what we've put in place really does kick us on in developing players.

"I've spoken to the parents of all the players from Under-9s to Under-18s, and one of the first questions asked is: 'how will this affect us?'

"I've said it will be a positive effect for us in a bizarre way in that the relationship will be even tighter, because there will be even more reliance on our young players coming through. The gap is shortened almost.

"There's more games, cup games, games where the young players have to be in the squad as far as the League rules and regulations are concerned.

"There'll be opportunities for those players to come into those games.

"Our job as academy staff, and this is from the gaffer's (Clough) conversations with myself, is to provide talented players and people with opportunities.

"It's then whether they grab the opportunities, and with where we're at now and with where we've been, but particularly now, those opportunities are going to come and it's whether the lads and the players grab them.

While it may not have been a successful season for the first-team, who suffered relegation to League One on the final day after a two-year stay, Robinson says the academy - which itself will celebrate being just a decade old next season - is coming on leaps and bounds.

Staff have been added to the ranks, and every Burton Albion team has access to St George's Park in Tatenhill - where England are currently preparing for next month's World Cup in Russia.

England preparing for the World Cup at St George's Park
England preparing for the World Cup at St George's Park

Hutchinson and Callum Hawkins signing their first professional deals following the conclusion of the season has bolstered the academy presence in the first-team, too.

There's very much a feeling of progression where Robinson is concerened.

"it's been very rewarding, to see the progression of Joe Sbarra, the progression of Reece Hutchinson and Callum Hawkins - particularly the two lads at the top end," he added.

"And then also just to see some of the things that we said at the end of last year, when we spoke about what we were going to implement.

Callum Hawkins (centre left) and Reece Hutchinson (centre right) have signed professional deals with Burton Albion

"The new vision around developing local players, so we needed to look at recruitment.

"A new vision around focusing on the person as much as we focus on the player - well-rounded people.

"And obviously the exciting addition of being up at St George's Park for the youth team, training in games and also for all the ages training.

"So these things all lend it to be a very, we feel, successful season.

"But it's been hard work, and I guess anything that is worth it does take a lot of hard work.

"So that's it in a snapshot.

"I think that, if we were reflecting back, what we have as a club that stands us aside from other clubs is that we are a close group of people.

"We don't with less resources as such because we have St George's, but we work within our means and we're connected very closely to the first team and are very close to the community trust.

"We're all as one and we've wanted this year to make sure we really showcase that both in the media and public, but also internally with our players, staff and we believe that's actually been the case."