Rovers have announced an intake of 13 scholars who will join the club’s Academy on a full-time basis this summer.

The 13 will step-up from schoolboys to scholars having agreed two-year deals with the club, with the aim for pushing for professional contracts by 2025.

They include Nathan Dlamini who joins the club on a permanent basis after scoring twice in seven appearances for the Under-18s as a trialist having left Aston Villa earlier this year.

The 16-year-old winger had previously been linked with a move to Rangers but will now continue his development at Brockhall after his time in the Midlands came to an end.

Patrik Farkas is another of the scholarship crop, the Hungary youth international having played 15 times for the Under-18s last term having joined from Liverpool in the summer of 2022.

The deals were signed at the annual induction evening, held in the Red Rose Suite at Ewood Park.

The new recruits listened to presentations about what will be expected of them both on and off the pitch, as well as hearing from Sam Barnes about his journey from Academy prospect to the first-team.

Tom Atcheson, Joseph Boggan, Max Davies, Dlamini, Stephen Edmondson, Patrik Farkas, Lucas Houghton, Nicolas Michalski, Lorenze Mullarkey-Matthews, Teddy Ramwell, Daniel Shaw, Jackson Shorrocks and Nathan Willis all agreed their scholarship deals and will be looking to follow in the footsteps of Ash Phillips and Jake Batty who made their first-team debuts while still being second-year scholars.

Before that they will look to cement their place in Ryan Kidd’s Under-18s side who finished 10th in the Under-18s Premier League last season, as well as look forward to a positive FA Youth Cup run.

All but one of those signing scholarships have already played for Kidd’s side, including Max Davies who started the FA Youth Cup defeat at Manchester City on the left side of a back three, and also played 90 minutes of the Under-21s’ win at Wolves last August.

Sheron will be keeping a close eye on their development too, having featured a number of scholars in his side in recent seasons.

Stephen Edmondson is the younger brother of James, who last year signed his first professional contract having turned 17.

Harley O’Grady-Macken is another scholar to have signed professional terms, alongside Batty and Phillips, with more expected over the course of the summer having been around the Under-21s side this season.

Rovers said: “The club would like to wish all the new scholars the very best of luck over the next two years, as they pursue their dreams of becoming professional footballers.”