Aidy Boothroyd believes blending youth and experience holds the key to bringing success to Colchester United.

The U’s boss has been at the Weston Homes Community Stadium for less than a month.

However, he has already shown he is not afraid to blood young players.

The likes of Danny Batth, Anthony Wordsworth and John-Joe O’Toole - all 20 years old or under - started for Colchester against Hartlepool United last weekend.

And 16-year-old Tom Bender came on as late substitute, to make his U’s first team debut.

Indeed, Colchester fielded five players aged 23 or under in their starting line-up against Pools.

The average age of Colchester’s players last Saturday was under 25.

Boothroyd has balanced that with more experienced players such as Kevin Lisbie, Clive Platt and David Fox.

The former Watford boss believes achieving that blend is crucial, if the U’s are to achieve their goals.

Boothroyd said: “Every club needs to have a balance of the old Dad’s Army types and the young boys coming through.

“You can’t have too much of one or the other.

“We have some good young players coming through and eventually they will take the places of the guys who maybe need to move on.”

Meanwhile, Boothroyd says he has every faith in the U’s ability to nurture talented young players.

Former Colchester boss Paul Lambert was highly critical of the club’s youth system earlier this year.

He voiced concerns about the lack of young players progressing to senior level.

But Boothroyd has every faith in the department, led by Tony Humes.

“I’ll not be making any changes to the youth system,” added Boothroyd.

“I’ve done the job. I’ve worked at every level from under-nine to first team.

“I’ve spent a bit of time with moody teenagers, with kids who just want to run around with the ball and also with moody first-team players as well!

“I think the youth set-up here is all geared up.

“Tony (Humes) spent seven years at Ipswich and look at the players who have come through there.”