AS Burnley FC build for the future under Eddie Howe, five young players are preparing to make the step up from youth team to senior squad. Here, Director of Youth Development Martin Dobson gives his verdict on the up and coming Clarets.

JOE JACKSON - STRIKER

Making the three-hour round trip from Barrow-in-Furness twice a week for training at the Centre of Excellence and coming back for games on the Saturday showed his commitment.

He became an apprentice and settled in really well and worked tremendously hard.

He’s come on leaps and bounds and led the line really well this season.

His dedication has been spot-on.

Some find it difficult in pre-season, but Joe had worked hard in the summer before his apprenticeship and he stood out.

He’s a determined young man and was going to give it his best shot, and this year he has made improve-ments again.

He’s scored goals this season, but he has missed them as well, and that’s an area he will look to improve on.

He gets himself in good positions because of his work-rate and intelligence up the field and he has got to push that on now.

He’s not a six-foot player – probably about 5ft10 – but he’s got a built-up upper body, he’s very quick and has good movement along the back four.

He’s an intelligent footballer with good pace and good control.

MEDHI LAZAAR - MIDFIELDER

Medhi’s had a tough time after coming from Racing Club in Liege.

It was a big decision for him to leave home and come to a different country, especially when he spoke very little English.

But he wanted to achieve something in professional football, knuckled down and had English lessons as part of his education here.

He came on a recommendation, and he lived up to it with good technical ability.

He can play anywhere along midfield, or just off the strikers, and he’s a smashing lad.

But this summer’s a big one for him because he’s struggled with a series of injuries.

Initially he had a bad ankle ligament strain, which put him out for several weeks, then he had a thigh problem and all of a sudden it curtailed his progress from a fitness point of view.

He came back after Christmas and for a period of time he was training and playing games and getting fitter, but he ended the season with a pelvic injury and he couldn’t play the last two or three youth team games.

It’s a bit of a concern because he needs to get away and have a rest, but he’s been sent away with a programme to come back fit so that he has a really good pre-season to get him up and running.

He certainly has ability, and he will be an exciting player, but that will only happen if all the other things – like fitness levels, determination and getting up to speed with the English game – fall into place.

DAVID LYNCH - MIDFIELDER

He’s a smashing lad and thoroughly deserves a contract and the youth team player of the year award because he has come on leaps and bounds in the last season.

Like his cousin, Chris Lynch, he’s from Blackburn and has been with us for a while, starting in the Centre of Excellence and going on to earn his scholarship.

Sometimes you’ve got to be patient with players in that first year and there was a lot of development needed from David, but things started to fall into place for him last season and he had the bit between his teeth, determined to give it his best shot.

He showed a lot of leadership qualities, and as captain he was a driving force in midfield and 100 per cent committed to getting on the ball.

He wanted to influence games and had fire in his belly.

He’s 6ft, left footed and can get up and down the pitch and he can strike a ball too.

His attitude is superb. That doesn’t automatically mean you’re going to be a successful pro, but he’s given himself a real chance because if you’ve got people at the club who’ve got ability and also their attitude is good you’ve got all the tools in the box.

He needs the luck, of course, but like any of them if they get that opportunity they’ve got to take it

JOE McKEE - MIDFIELDER

He’s scored some wonderful goals for the youth team this season from 25-30 yards.

He got a hat-trick against Oldham away and struck his last goal from just over the halfway line. It was a wonderful bit of skill.

Not many players have got that awareness, or the ability to do such a thing.

He came down from Livingstone as a 16-year-old. He’d been on the radar of a few clubs, including us, and it was Owen Coyle’s influence - knowing him from Scotland - that brought him to Turf Moor.

We were delighted he decided to join our club and he’s since been recognised by Scotland Under 19s.

He often stays behind after training sessions with the likes of Tyrone Mears working at free kicks.

He’s a terrific striker of the ball, but he wants to be better, and the extra work he does has shown in some performance this season and he’s made good progress.

I’m just a little bit frustrated for Joe himself that he hasn’t had more appearances in the reserves.

He’s going into the ‘big school’ now, as we say, but he is really looking forward to it.

I’ve told all the boys that next season’s going to be a whole new ball game, and they’ve got to come in all guns blazing, be competitive against your own players as well as the opposition and believe in what they’re doing.

ROSS WILSON - WINGER

This Keighley Claret is a real battler and a workhorse and has put himself on the line this season.

He can play down the middle as a striker or either side.

There’s a lot to go at yet with Ross, but he’s had chances in the reserves as well as the Under 18s and has shown a lot of improvement in the last 12 months.

He, like the others, will look to players like Jay Rodriguez for what can be achieved and is the perfect example of someone who has kept their feet on the ground.

By all accounts Jay didn’t think he was going to get a scholarship, then when he was 18 he didn’t think he was going to get a professional contract.

But he has impressed every manager who has been here, starting with Steve Cotterill, who gave him his first pro contract, Owen Coyle, who first put him in the side, then Brian Laws and now Eddie Howe.

Players like Ross have to aspire to follow in his footsteps.