BURNLEY are tracking gifted Everton youngster Chris Price.

The 21-year-old has spent the last couple of days training with the Clarets after impressing manager Adrian Heath in a recent reserve team game at Bolton.

Price, who can play at right back or in midfield, has spent the past season on the fringe of the first team squad at Goodison Park and was put on stand-by for last weekend's clash at Aston Villa.

But a series of big money buys by former Blues manager Joe Royle has impeded his chances of breaking through into the Premiership.

Now Burnley could offer Price terms at Turf Moor with Everton reported to be on the verge of handing the Liverpool-born lad a free transfer when his current contract expires in June.

Manager Adrian Heath explained: "I spoke with Joe Royle recently and he said he could see him doing a really good job but couldn't see him forcing his way through at Everton at present.

"At this moment in time Joe thinks he would be better getting some League experience under his belt somewhere. I was very impressed when I watched him at Bolton. "We are planning to play him in a couple of reserve games and we'll take it from there."

Price joined Everton as a schoolboy and arrived at Goodison Park just as Colin Harvey, the current Clarets assistant, left Goodison in 1990.

Heath added: "He is a good footballer and a very adaptable one. We are definitely interested and we would probably look at him as more of a midfield player."

Burnley clung on to sixth place in Division Two after closest play-off rivals Watford were held to a 0-0 draw at Chesterfield last night.

Leaders Bury took another giant step towards the First Division with a 2-1 win over Walsall at Gigg Lane, while Luton could only draw with struggling Wycombe at Kenilworth Road.

Stockport, Burnley's opponents at the weekend, landed a point at Plymouth. Rotherham, due at Turf Moor a week on Saturday, were relegated. Their fate was sealed after they slipped to a 1-0 defeat at Wrexham following Karl Connolly's 48th minute strike.

Former Clarets stars John Pender, Graham Lancashire Andy Farrell and Mike Conroy were celebrating today after Wigan and Fulham clinched promotion from the Third Division last night.

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