Sellars delight as teenagers earn their Bradford City chance

The two 18-year-olds have featured in the last three games – which have seen the Bantams pick up seven points to revive their play-off hopes.

Right back Cousin-Dawson has been involved 17 times in League Two, with 14 of those appearances from the start. Scales has five starts and a further 11 outings off the bench.

Sellars said: “It’s obviously really nice for academy products to be in the first team. It’s not something that’s really normal.

“I’ve not seen it too much over the time I’ve been here. Credit to those two individuals and the other lads who came up from the youth team last year.

“They aren’t only making the team but starting games and making an impact. It’s so pleasing for the two.

“They are putting the performances in. It’s good that we’ve given them the opportunity but they’ve got to take it.”

The financial uncertainty created by the Covid pandemic has seen more clubs turn to their own youngsters through the season.

With Reece Staunton making eight appearances under Stuart McCall before his serious hamstring injury, the trio have clocked up more than 40 games.

Kian Scales scored his first senior goal in last month's win at Colchester (Image: Thomas Gadd)

“It’s brilliant to give young players the opportunity because without that you don’t see their ultimate capabilities,” added Sellars. “Some people may surprise you along the way.

“It’s really nice when you see two under-19 players starting for us in the league. It’s really special.

“If they weren’t performing well and we didn’t potentially have that trust in their ability and responsibilities then they wouldn’t play.

“But because they’ve shown that, they are keeping the shirt at the moment. They are showing why they should play.

“You’ve obviously got Reece Staunton, Jorge Sikora and Connor Shanks who are from that group who were given contracts at the end of the youth team season last year.

“It shows that the club have a direction to improve youth players and to give them a chance in the first team, which is excellent.”

With City promoting Mark Trueman and Sellars from the youth set-up, the managerial duo have a natural connection with the club’s young starlets. But Sellars can appreciate why some clubs are reluctant to blood untried talent.

Reece Staunton made eight league starts before his season-ending injury

“As a manager, you’ve got to get results. You’ve seen, including at this club, that at time you have to go for more experience to give yourself more chance to have that trust in players because they’ve been there before.

“But again, what we’ll say about these players, is that when they’ve come in they’ve done a great job.

“Players around the squad have to show respect to those who are keeping the shirts for the right reasons. Their attitudes are first class as well.

“We know they are going to have dips along the way and patches when they don’t perform at as high a level as they’d like.

“But they are putting themselves in a really good position because they are getting a lot of games in the league this year. They are giving themselves a future to play for.”