It's always a bitter sweet time when decisions are made on young players and for six of them it is an extended time at Turf Moor. For four of them it is a second year as a professional and for the other two it is time to step up to the professional ranks.
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| Contracts for Gallagher, Love and Gilchrist (top) and Coleman, Anderson and McCartan (bottom) |
The two stepping up from youth scholarships are Irish midfielder Luke Gallagher and striker Jason Gilchrist. Both have done well this season with Gilchrist in particular catching the headlines with 22 goals at youth level, including a hat trick at Old Trafford against Manchester United.
Both are currently out on loan at Droylsden but it can come as no surprise that they have won professional deals. Gallagher hasn't had as much football with Burnley this season but has played consistently well when called upon and has also been involved with the Republic of Ireland at under-19 level.
They step up alongside Luke Conlan, Jack Errington, who will be ready to resume his career next season after heart surgery, and Cameron Howieson who had already been rewarded with professional deals.
Of the players who graduated last season, four of them have won second years. They are central defenders Tom Anderson and Alex Coleman, midfielder Archie Love and striker Shay McCartan.
Three of them have spent time out on loan during the season with Love being the exception. He hasn't had the easiest of seasons and has recently had surgery for a hand injury and for a hernia.
Striker McCartan is currently with Hyde for whom he scored his first goal last week. Anderson has enjoyed loans with both Barrow and Hyde but is currently sidelined with a medial ligament injury; Coleman had a loan with Droylsden earlier in the season.
That's the good news and well done to all six of them on having won these deals.
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| Evans, Jackson and Williams |
The disappointing news is it is time to say goodbye to Adam Evans, Joe Jackson and Aryn Williams. Evans and Jackson have had their problems with injuries while Williams has been unfortunate. He was close to a loan deal with Barrow recently but that fell through and he's basically had very little football this season and therefore little opportunity to progress.
I'd like to wish all three of them the very best in their search for new clubs and hope they can all have successful football careers elsewhere.