BLACKBURN Rovers' Academy coach Gary Bowyer believes Sergio Peter's meteoric rise from Youth football to the Premiership can act as a major source of inspiration for the rest of the club's young players next season.

The German teenager became the latest Academy graduate to make the breakthrough into the first team when Mark Hughes handed him his big chance against QPR in the FA Cup in January, and, after contributing three assists on the day, he has remained in and around the senior squad ever since.

Now, the coaching staff at the Academy hope Peter's progress will act as a spur for others as they attempt to follow in the 19-year-old's footsteps over the next 12 months.

"Sergio deserved to get in and around the first team last season because he worked very, very hard and it gives the rest of the lads a lift to see the manager saying if you're good enough, you're old enough'," said Bowyer.

"He has been an inspiration, if you like, for some of the others who are now saying Look, if I can get in and around it then I might get my chance'.

"The likes of Andy Taylor and Matt Derbyshire are in and around it as well, so hopefully the players will go away over the summer and then come back thinking Right, I want to be pushing on next season and try and emulate what Serg has achieved'."

Rovers' Under 18s enjoyed another excellent season last term, finishing top of their group for the second successive year before they eventually lost out to Southampton in the end-of-season play-offs.

However, Bowyer and his staff know the Academy is ultimately judged on the amount of players it produces for the first team, which is why Peter's emergence was so important to everyone at Brockhall.

The Academy believe that by producing successful teams, they will also produce successful players; a mantra that has delivered the likes of Martin Taylor, Jay McEveley, Paul Gallagher and Jemal Johnson in the past.

Now, Derbyshire, who impressed during a loan spell with Wrexham last season, Taylor, Eddie Nolan and Keith Treacy are the latest crop hoping to make the breakthrough.

"We're in a competitive business and what we try and instil in the lads is they've got to be competitive. That's the first thing we ask them to do," explained Bowyer.

"To have won the league again shows the first years from last year have improved, and that improvement is needed all the time because we need them to keep on improving so they can get into Glyn Hodges' reserve side.

"Fortunately, quite a lot of them have done that this season and the relationship we have with Glyn, in terms of pushing them on and having them training with him, has helped us as well.

"So, first and foremost, we've got to try and get players into Glyn's reserve team, then, obviously, from there the next step is trying to get them in and around the first team squad."

While playing in the reserves is seen as an important part of a young player's development, the opportunity to get some first team experience elsewhere on loan can often prove even more rewarding.

One Academy player who particularly benefited in that way last season was Derbyshire.

The 20-year-old, who was plucked from relative obscurity when Rovers signed him from Great Harwood three years ago, spent three months at Wrexham, where he proved to be a revelation, scoring 10 goals in 14 appearances for the League Two club.

The hope now is Derbyshire will be ready to make the next step, whether that's forcing his way into the senior squad at Blackburn or spending another season out on loan, either in League One or the Championship.

"With the greatest respect to Youth and reserve team football, there's nothing better than first team football," said Bowyer.

"I went and watched Derbs at Wrexham last season and he loved it.

"That spell won't do him any harm, it will only do him good, and I think the experiences he and Andy Taylor (who was at Blackpool on loan) have had will help them through next season."

As for the Academy, Bowyer is hoping for another season of progression' on and off the field.

Rovers have topped their group in each of the last two seasons; an achievement which shouldn't be underestimated when you consider they are competing against the big city clubs of Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Everton.

"The lads did very, very well as a team last season and probably surpassed expectations if I'm being totally honest," said Bowyer.

"The competition in this area is immense it's probably the hardest section in the country - and to have won it back to back is some achievement.

"We were disappointed we then lost in the semi-finals of the national play-offs.

"On the day, we started very, very brightly against Southampton, but we have to hold our hands up and admit they were better than us overall.

"There's no excuses. They were just better than us and sometimes that happens.

"We were pleased we got to the semi-finals, but we wanted to win it."