AS A young footballer, there can be nothing more devastating than someone saying you are not good enough.

I know. I've been there.

And the only thing you can do is find the belief within yourself to prove them wrong.

That is the challenge now facing six Burnley apprentices after the decision to release them.

In my case I was a wet-behind-the-ears schoolboy who dreamed of wearing the famous claret and blue shirt.

I remember scoring a hat-trick in the final trial game and being pretty confident I would be offered a YTS.

The scars of being told otherwise stayed with me for a long, long time.

However, what these lads have to do is understand this is a decision made by less than a handful of professionals.

I am sure the last thing Steve Cotterill, Vince Overson or Terry Pashley wanted to do was dash the dreams of a youngster, but such jobs carry responsibilities to the club and clearly they felt these lads were not going to break through.

Fighting back from adversity is often the measure of a man and now it is up to the individuals.