Chris Casper has hailed Louis Horne's promotion to the senior squad as a feather in the cap for the Valley Parade youth set-up.

Horne, 17, has been handed the number 31 shirt after impressing Stuart McCall with his performances.

Horne, son of City's youth development officer Peter, has been with the club for ten years and can play in a variety of defensive and midfield roles.

Talking to the Telegraph & Argus Youth team coach Casper said: "The boy has worked extremely hard. He's a talented lad who can play in a number of positions.

"It's also fantastic for the youth department because this is what our job is all about.

"These squad numbers are not just handed out willy-nilly. They are well earned and this sends out a message of intent from the manager and shows the rewards are there if you are prepared to work hard."

City's youth team may have lost six games on the bounce under Casper's stewardship but he is not getting too downhearted.

He said: "Nobody likes getting beaten but we have played eight under-17s in the team. It's a big step up and they are learning all the time.

"At the end of the day, this job is about producing players who can come through to the senior team. I think we've got some really talented ones coming through the centre of excellence and I'm excited about that.

"It's always nice to win games but I remember my first year as youth-team coach at Bury when we had a string of poor results.

"The team included David Buchanan, who's a regular now, Nicky Adams, who was sold in the summer for £100,000, and Colin Kazim-Richards, who played for Turkey in the European Championships.

"It just goes to show that results aren't everything at that level.

"If we've got players in the reserves through the week, we give other people a chance. The current under-16s are a decent bunch and we might have four or five of them in the squad, instead of making the others play three times in a week.

"The manager can see the bigger picture. It's about progressing players and giving youngsters opportunities to see how they do."

Horne will continue to train with the youth squad at times, as well as working with the senior names, but Casper believes his elevation will act as a real spur to the other rookies in the ranks.

"The manager has shown his colours already and that gives everyone at the club a lift," he said.

"I'm not saying it's the complete way forward but if you've got good, talented youngsters progressing it's a great sign for the club."