Burnley boss Brian Laws has revealed his delight after fast-tracking two of the youngsters in his Development squad.
Midfielder Michael King, 18, and striker Wes Fletcher, 20, (pictured, right) both made their senior debuts in Tuesday night's Carling Cup victory at Morecambe.
Youth Team Player of the season 2009/10 Michael King
Laws had thoughtfully alerted the families of the Development squad duo that they may well be involved at the Globe Arena, leading to a rush north to catch their big moments.
And after handing the starlets their first team bows late in the game, the gaffer admitted he was delighted to take their careers on to the next level.
Laws said: "I was desperate to get the lads on for an appearance. They have had a good pre-season with us and Michael, in particular, has shone through.
"Alex-Ray Harvey has done well, as has Wes, so it sends out a message to the young lads that they can be involved.
"Even just having a few minutes will make them feel 10 feet tall."
Fletcher and Harvey, 20, both spent time with the first team squad during the summer tour of Singapore, although Harvey is currently nursing a minor knock.
Alex-Ray Harvey
And along with King, whose stunning form has merited a first team call-up, Laws is confident the next generation of Clarets stars are in good hands under the watchful gaze of new Development Squad coach Ashley Hoskin.
He said: "We have already stated what we want to do with the development squad, and that is to accelerate them into the first team.
"There are three who have stood out for me over pre-season and are penetrating the first team squad and that is brilliant news for the club.
"They have joined in during training and that is always a great testament for the first year pros, as the first team players can be very vocal with them, so we get to see whether or not they get intimidated by them."
"I am not going to build them up too much because that puts too much pressure on. But the likes of Michael handle the pressure well and handle the mental side too and hopefully they will be staying with the squad a lot longer."
