They were the Northern Ireland pair of goalkeeper Conor Mitchell and right-back Cameron Dummigan. With the season coming to an end another six of the remaining nine second year scholars have won first professional deals.
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| Top left to right: Alex Whitmore, Callum Richardson, Nathan Lowe, bottom left to right, Luke Daly, Evan Galvin, Kevin Ly |
We start with the central defensive pairing from this season's youth team, Alex Whitmore and Callum Richardson. Whitmore is from the North East of England whilst Richardson is an Australian. Alex joined the club ahead of the 2012/13 season with Richardson arriving soon after although not able to play until his international clearance came through.
The other four are all midfielders. Nathan Lowe has come through the club's centre of excellence and Luke Daly was signed as a 16-year-old having previously been with Manchester United. Both Nathan and Luke started their scholarships in 2012 but both had played in the youth team as under-16s during the 2011/12 season.
Joining them are Evan Galvin from the Republic of Ireland and Kevin Ly who is from New South Wales in Australia, again two players who joined the club for the 2012/13 season.
Clarets Mad would like to say well done to all six of them and hope that in the coming years we some of them progressing into the first team. For now, or from next season, they will be joining Andy Farrell's under-21 squad.
Whilst it is good news for those named above it is always a difficult time for those who are being released and the three leaving Turf Moor this year have all come through the centre of excellence and all three are local lads.
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| Left to right: Callum Jakovlevs, Charlie Holt, Lewis Nuttall |
They are goalkeeper Callum Jakovlevs and defender Charlie Holt, both of whom are from Rossendale, and Burnley born striker Lewis Nuttall.
Callum, who I sponsored last season as a thank you after one of his relatives was so helpful to me during some urgent medical tests in the summer of 2012, and Charlie were both in the team that won that dramatic FA Youth Cup tie at Old Trafford in December 2012, a night none of us there are likely to forget.
I've enjoyed watching all three in the youth team games over the last two years and wish them all the very best with the hope that they are able to find themselves new clubs.