With the combination of financial restraints and the abundance of prospects coming through the academy, Nigel Pearson has shown little hesitation in handing Bristol City youngsters their first-team opportunities.
City's academy is a conveyor belt of talent that continues to produce exciting young, hungry players hoping to make the step up to the senior squad. To help give them that platform, the youngsters often train regularly with the first-team including 16-year-old Elijah Morrison and 18-year-old Olly Thomas.
You only have to take a glance at the Professional Development League table to confirm the quality of City's Under-21 side. Ali Hines' team sit joint top with Millwall, with a game advantage, and are also in the quarter-finals of the Premier League Cup with a tie against Nottingham Forest on the horizon.
