High Five for Clarets Young Guns

Clarets gaffer Owen Coyle has offered professional contracts to five of the club`s second year apprentices for the 2009/10 season.

The players are as follows:

Nik Kudiersky

Chris Lynch

Chris Anderson

Alex-Ray Harvey

Wes Fletcher

Burnley`s Director of Youth Development, Martin Dobson speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph is quoted as saying the following about the offers:

"They have worked particularly hard and deserve a contract. I have only been here since September and quite a few of these lads have been at this football club for many, many years. They know the club inside out, their loyalty is with this club and hopefully they will go on to have wonderful careers here. And we are pleased so many have been offered deals. It`s the manager`s decision at the end of the day - we can only give recommendations - it`s whether he feels they warrant a contract, and he`s been very supportive. Lots of them have played in the reserves, and he`s aware of who`s playing because he`s been involved in some of those games himself and has first-hand experience of playing alongside them."

Another of the players, Ben Hoskin could make it a six shooter after being offered a short-term contract over the summer while they further assess the player. Ben has been sidelined all season with a long-term injury.

Sadly a few of the second-year players didn't make it so we will be saying goodbye and thank you to defender Dan Brown, midfielder Dil Chagger, winger James Craggs and goalkeeper Stef Ritchie who all missed out.

Vital Burnley congratulate all our new professionals and wish them all the best as they continue their careers at Burnley FC

A number of you may not be familiar with our youth team and players so we provide below some background information and photographs of those that have been successful this time round.

Nik Kudiersky



Nik is a central defender from Glossop who previously played for Manchester County before joining the Clarets in 2005.

Chris Lynch



Chris from Blackburn is another central-defender.He was only nine years old when he joined the Centre of Excellence. He has played for Lancashire County.

Chris Anderson



Chris is a local lad born in Burnley and he too joined the Centre of Excellence at the age of nine. Plays in central midfield

Alex-Ray Harvey



Alex-Ray is yet another player who joined the Club's Centre of Excellence aged only nine years and he too has also played for the Lancashire County team. He is a left-footed central midfielder

Wes Fletcher



Wes was originally on Liverpool's books joining the Clarets in 2007 after being spotted playing for Lancashire.Ormskirk born, the striker has scored 26 goals this season.

Ben Hoskin



Ben is a full back and the nephew of former Claret Ashley Hoskin. The Accrington born former Lancashire County defender joined Burnley at the age of nine.

Vital Burnley wish to thank Burnley FC for the use of all the photographs in this article

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