THREE second-year scholars have signed their first professional contracts with Blackburn Rovers.

Left-back Josh Askew, 18, right-back Lewis Travis, 18, and attacker Ramirez Howarth, 18, have put pen to paper on one-year deals.

It means 10 members of the Academy side which reached the semi-finals of this season’s FA Youth Cup semi-finals have now become fully fledged professionals.

Goalkeeper Andy Fisher, right-back Ryan Nyambe, centre-backs Scott Wharton and Matthew Platt, midfielders Willem Tomlinson and Lewis Hardcastle, and striker Lewis Mansell penned pro terms earlier in the season.

All 10 players will take their place in the club’s new-look development squad next season.

And Rovers head of Academy Eric Kinder said: “Gradually, what we’ve done over the course of the season, is when we felt it was right to upgrade the scholars’ contracts we have done, and these three lads had to wait a little longer and show us that they were worth it. 

“It was the right thing to do for their own development, but they came through that and I’m absolutely delighted that they’ve signed. This tops off a fantastic intake from this year’s scholars.

“With Connor (Mahoney) doing so well, it didn’t allow Remy (Howarth) a chance to play, but everybody else could probably class themselves as a regular member of the under-21s, so they thoroughly deserve their contracts, because they’ve proved that they can play at the next level in their careers.”