YORK City’s senior strikers Jon Parkin and Michael Rankine have been tasked with nurturing teenage hopeful Ryan Edmondson at Bootham Crescent.

First-year scholar Edmondson, who only turned 16 in May, has been used during the second half of both of City’s opening two pre-season friendlies.

He also led the line for the reserves last term while still a schoolboy and the likes of Newcastle and Middlesbrough are understood to be monitoring his progress.

City boss Gary Mills has not been slow to recognise his talent either and is hoping the experience of powerful pair Parkin and Rankine, who are 35 and 32 respectively, will benefit the 6ft 2in target man.

He said: “I think the lad has got a good future and, if he plays against and with better players, he will only get better himself. With the likes of Jon and Ranks they’re good pros and ones who will talk to him as well.

“They’re not arrogant – they are great lads who will teach Ryan. They won’t have a go at him if he gives the ball away - they will nurture him in the right way.

“We’re trying to involve him as much as we can and it’s then up to him to show us he can step up to the mark.”

Parkin scored a brace in the first warm-up match against Farsley Celtic and Rankine went on to get off the mark during Tuesday night’s 2-2 home with Scunthorpe during an individual performance that caught Mills’ eye.

“I thought Ranks did excellently up there the other night,” Mills enthused. “He did exactly what I brought him back for.”

Against Scunthorpe, Mills changed from a 4-3-3 formation against Farsley to the 3-4-3 system he favoured during the second half of last season and admitted he was satisfied by the switch, as he ponders his tactical approach for the forthcoming National League North campaign.

“I like it (3-4-3) and we have a group that can change to 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 whenever we feel we need to,” he declared. “We played it a bit differently to last season with Louis Almond in behind a front two, rather than a straight front three and I think that worked well.

“We dictated long parts of the game and we had only really worked on the shape for one day after changing from the Farsley match.”

Elsewhere, released City defender Jack Higgins has been appointed Premier League outfit Burnley’s new head of education.

Higgins was a PE teacher before joining City from Stalybridge Celtic last summer and has a degree in sports coaching.

Ex-Bootham Crescent favourite and youth-team coach Ricky Sbragia has also returned to Manchester United as under-23s coach.

Sbragia, who left his post in charge of Scotland under-21s in September, was previously the reserve-team manager at Old Trafford between 2002 and 2005.

City fans have been offered the chance, meanwhile, to have their photograph taken with the FA Trophy before the pre-season home clash against Notts County on Saturday, July 29.

The trophy will be on display in the Keith Walwyn Lounge from 1pm until 2.30pm with access available via the metal staircase near Gate 13.

Supporters are asked to provide their own cameras.