BIG seasons await young Blackburn Rovers duo Ryan Nyambe and Anton Forrester after their new contracts were confirmed.

Nyambe has signed his first professional deal with the club and the length of it – three years, until the summer of 2018 – underlines the promise Rovers believe the teenage right-back possesses.

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The 17-year-old was a key member of Eric Kinder’s U21s team which reached the final of the U21s Premier League Cup last season.

And on two occasions, including the FA Cup quarter-final replay with Liverpool at Ewood Park, he was an unused substitute for Gary Bowyer’s senior side.

The pacy and powerful Nyambe is training with the first team and it is hoped that he will have made his first-team debut by the end of the campaign.

Departing Rovers hero David Dunn said of Nyambe: “I see something in him. When I was injured for a while, he was with me and I saw something .

“I don’t see that much in many young players anymore.

“He was very proactive in all his rehab and it really did stand out. If he carries on with that he’ll stand a very good chance.”

Forrester, who has signed a one-year contract, is another player who will be determined to force his way into Bowyer’s thinking.

After nine months on the sidelines with severe cruciate ligament damage sustained while playing on loan for Bury, the 21-year-old marked his competitive return by scoring twice for Rovers U21s in a 4-3 loss to Derby County at Ewood Park in December.

However that proved to be Forrester’s first and last start of the season as he was beset by a series of niggling muscle injuries thereafter.

But the speedy and strong striker is now fully fit and was part of the Rovers squad that returned to training this week.

Goalkeeper Ryan Crump, defenders Jack Doyle, Mark Edgar and Sam Lavelle, midfielder Connor Thomson and striker Sam Joel have, like Forrester, penned new one-year contracts, while midfielder Hyuga Tanner and winger Luke Wall have signed extensions to their Academy scholarships.

Ben Ascroft, Alex Curran, Charley Doyle, Mason Fawns, Joe Grayson, Callum Hendry, Tyler Magloire, Matthew Makinson, Stefan Mols, Tre Pemberton, Joe Rankin-Costello, Joel Steer, Lewis Travis and Ben Williams have joined the Academy.