The Clarets have given new contracts to five young players as boss Brian Laws gives them the chance to follow in his footsteps and establish themselves as first-team players at Turf Moor.

First-year professionals Alex-Ray Harvey, Chris Lynch, Chris Anderson, Nik Kudiersky and Wes Fletcher have been given 12-month deals to extend their stay until the end of next season.

Meanwhile, defender Ben Hoskin, 19, who has been on a short-term deal following his recovery from injury, will have his future decided at the end of the current campaign.

Fletcher, Hoskin and midfielders Anderson, 19, and Harvey, 19, have all been involved at reserve-team level in recent weeks with striker Fletcher, 20, also spending a month on loan with League Two side Grimsby Town.

Nineteen-year-old defenders Lynch, who started the season on loan at Chester City, and Kudiersky (above right) are currently recovering from knee operations.

Wes Fletcher

But they now know they have another 12 months to make a further impression and try and follow the route Laws took in going from the youth set-up to becoming a first-team regular with the Clarets in the early 1980s en route to a 650-game playing career.

"Having come through the structure myself I know how valuable it is to the football club that we get that conveyor belt up and running and produce the best quality we possibly can," said Laws.

"It's the only way for the future of football and financially it's the best way to run a football club.

"Having had success myself going though the production line here I feel it's important we continue it and embrace it and make it better."

Alex-Ray Harvey

Laws added: "Whichever club I've been at I've always had a hands-on approach with the younger element because it's important we get to know them as quickly as we possibly we can and more importantly utilise that production line.

"I had great success at Scunthorpe and success at Sheffield Wednesday and I hope we can mirror that at Burnley."

Chris Anderson