James Edmondson has signed his first professional contract with Rovers having turned 17 earlier this month.

That allowed Rovers to tie down the talented teenage midfielder to his first professional deal through to 2025.

Edmondson made his Under-21s debut at 15, and is highly regarded by the club, which is why they moved to secure his signature at the earliest opportunity.

 Edmondson has been with the club since the age of six and helped Rovers Under-18s finish fifth in the U18 Premier League and reach the quarter-finals of the FA Youth Cup last season.

Upon signing the deal, he said: “I’m really happy.

“It’s probably one of the best days of my life so far.

“I’ve been here since I was six, over 10 years of being at this club, so I’m just really, really happy to be carrying on my journey and I know that the hard work starts now. It starts tomorrow with my next training session and that’s the mindset I’ve got to have.

“Since I signed my scholarship, it was just a case of full focus on getting my pro deal and so I’m just really happy with where I am at the moment.

“This club has got a special place in my heart. I’ve really enjoyed being here for the last 10 years and it’s a great opportunity now to push on.”

Edmondson doesn’t have to look too far for inspiration when it comes to trying to make the break through to the first-team, with four of the club’s current first-team central midfield options having all come through the ranks.

“With the coaches and all the staff we have at the Academy, it’s a great place to be as a young player, developing skills outside of football and on the pitch it just speaks for itself when you look at the number of players from the Academy who are now playing in the first team,” he added.

“I can see myself in their shoes and I think they’re a great example and recognition of what this club has to offer.”

TAKE OUT A SUBSCRIPTION...

GAIN UNLIMITED AND UNRESTRICTED ACCESS TO THE LANCASHIRE TELEGRAPH WEBSITE WITH A PREMIUM DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION