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The 20-year-old Naylor, form Sutton-in-Ashfield, has come through the youth system at Mansfield and won his first professional deal for them in March 2009. A month later he made his first team debut in a 2-0 home win against Altrincham in a Blue Square Premier League game.
It wasn't the start of a long run in the first team and the then 18-year-old was loaned out for the entire 2009/10 season to Belper and then, last season, had a short loan with Alfreton Town.
Last season did eventually see him establish himself in the Mansfield team and he scored his only goal to date in a 2-1 defeat at York, giving his side the lead.
He started as a midfield player but has been converted into a central defender. Such was his form last season that there was a lot of interest in the summer. Hull, Leeds and Preston all enquired and on the last day of the transfer window they received an offer for him from a Premier League club.
He remained with Mansfield and has recently been on trial with Derby before joining the Clarets, although Mansfield boss Paul Cox says such trials will come to an end and that this week at Burnley could be the last.
He said today: "This will probably be Tom's final opportunity [on a trial]. We want Tom here if no club is to meet our valuation. He did excellent at Wrexham and was unlucky to be sent off.
"We don't want to be messed around. If somebody wants Tom then we will pat him on the back and wish him well, but if not, we will want him in our first team as quickly as possible."
He hasn't played much football this season for disciplinary reasons. In his second game of the season against Gateshead he received a straight red card which left him suspended for three games. On his return, last Tuesday, he was sent off again, this time at Wrexham and is now under suspension again.
Naylor has already made one appearance in Burnley colours, featuring for half a game today against a Nike Academy team at Gawthorpe, a game Burnley lost 2-0.