BURNLEY have completed the signing of six young players to strengthen their under-23 squad for this season.

Josh Benson, Mace Goodridge, Rob Harker, Teddy Perkins, Ed Cook and Anthony Glennon have all agreed contracts which started on July 1

All six featured for Michael Duff's side towards the end of last season as the Clarets finished strongly to avoid bottom spot in their first campaign in the U23 Professional Development League.

“We are delighted to have all of them on board and ready to start pre-season with us,” said U23s boss Duff of the sextet, who are all 18.

“They all made an impact last season with the different playing opportunities they had and in their time training with us so far, and I feel they will definitely strengthen the squad this time around.

“We are trying to increase the quality across the board with our young players, through recruitment, coaching and the experience of playing competitive football, and adding these players will do that.

“They come from a variety of backgrounds and different levels of football – from Premier League clubs down to the lower divisions and even schools football in the case of Ed.

“But they have all had a good grounding, they are still young for an under-23 group and we feel there is plenty of scope for development and growth with us to hopefully make a mark at Turf Moor.”

Harker joins the Clarets after leaving Bury, where he made one senior appearance as a substitute in the Football League Trophy last season.

The striker scored in Burnley’s final-day Development League win at Sheffield Wednesday, which denied the Owls the northern division title and a place in the national play-offs, and then netted twice in a friendly win at Rangers in May.

Midfielders Benson and Goodridge have joined after leaving Arsenal and Newcastle United respectively, with Benson playing a handful of games in the league at the end of last term.

Perkins and Cook, meanwhile, are both centre-backs, with Glennon a left-sided defender.

Perkins has been training with the Clarets for a number of months and played in several games since being told by Leyton Orient that he would not be offered a professional contract at Brisbane Road. He had previously captained the O’s youth team and been given a senior squad number.