The expected Peterborough United line-up to face Reading and its startling average age

While Posh’s transfer policy of bringing in “young and hungry” players has been in clear all summer, the average age of less than 23 does bring into sharp focus just the nature of the revamp the squad has undergone.

In fact, were Posh to put out the line-up the PT has predicted, the average age would be lower than the youngest eleven fielded by any League One team last season.

On September 17, Lincoln won a thriller 6-3 away at Bristol Rovers with a team with an average age of 22.9 years.

They repeated the trick on April 22, with a 2-0 away at Wycombe.

Posh’s youngest side was the one put out by Grant McCann in his final match before being sacked, the 3-0 New Year’s Day defeat to Wycombe. That side had an average age of 23.3 years.

Youngsters Will Blackmore, Ronnie Edwards, Hector Kyprianou, Harrison Burrows, Kwame Poku and Ricky-Jade Jones all started the match.

The Posh team that started that now infamous night as Hillsborough would be considered young by any standards- with an average age of 24.9- but around two years is likely to be shaved off that this campaign.

To put that figure into context, in the side that started the final pre-season game- Saturday’s 3-2 win over Birmingham- Jonson Clarke-Harris was the only played above the age of 24.

Even on that night, Posh brought on the 32-year-old Nathan Thompson and 28-year-old Dan Butler at half-time to push the average up further.

SEE: The sky's the limit for a young Peterborough United squad

Chairman Darragh MacAnthony has previously outlined the club’s new vision for a younger Posh side that which see his players not “have older players on their backs telling them off.”

Speaking on his Hard Truth podcast, he said: “We have invested in young players, but they are also very good players and it should be an exciting season full of good football.

"The players will be given the freedom to express themselves and they will be told to be brave.

"With that comes risk. They will make mistakes and we wiil probably give away the most stupid goals imaginable, but we have to stick with them because the mistakes won’t last.

"The young bucks will flourish and we have to let them. They will have my support.”

Below is the XI that the PT thinks is likely to face Reading at the Select Car Leasing Stadium on Saturday and the age of each of the players.