WHEN Steve Cotterill draws up his battleplan for Hillsborough tomorrow, an eager teenager will lead from the front.

Chris McCann has earned his manager's faith with a series of impressive displays since being fast-tracked from an apprentice to full time professional.

And the Irish rookie looks like being a permanent fixture in the Clarets side for the foreseeable future as Cotterill puts the 18-year-old through another stern examination.

Boss Cotterill explained: "There's been some good individual performances that have encapsulated good team performances recently and Chris is emerging.

"Emerging into being how good, I don't quite know.

"That's why I'm picking him all the time, because I want to find out about him for next year.

"I want to see how mentally tough he's going to be when he's had 10 games on the spin.

"Is he going to stay with the runner 10 games in? Will he get those tackles in?

"Is he going to win his headers and is he going to do all the ugly things that you have to do in there sometimes?

"Is he going to be tired and mentally weak and let his midfielder bully him, or is he going to be strong enough to come through?

"At the moment it's a test of time, but a good one considering we've got an 18-year-old kid in the team.

"And no, he's not for sale!"

McCann, who signed a three-and-a-half year deal in December, knows if those high standards slip his position will immediately come under threat in an area where Cotterill is awash with midfield options.

He added: "It's up to those people who get the shirts to keep them.

"People have got to be desperate for their shirts and we've got a bit of competition at the moment, so I'm really pleased with that.

"The competition in certain areas could be stronger, but there is healthy competition, definitely."

Burnley travel across the Pennines looking to avenge Wednesday's 2-1 victory at Turf Moor on New Year's Eve, which heralded an unhappy start to 2006.

Since then Burnley have won just twice in 14 attempts, while their last victory on the road came on November 5 at Luton.

Cotterill said: "It's not as if we haven't had an away win, but our away form could be better we know that.

"Our home form would be good enough to put us in the top six really, so we have been a little bit disappointed with our away form, but quite often you go away to these grounds with 20-odd thousand people there and the crowds influence the referees - I'm convinced of it.

"We'll go there in good spirit, but we go to most places in good spirit.

"I just wish the players had the confidence in themselves sometimes that I have in them."