YORK City teenage trio Andy McWilliams, Liam Shepherd and Josh Ratcliffe have all signed
first-year professional contracts.
But defender Danny Stimpson - the other youth-team player to be offered a pro deal last month - has decided to ply his trade in Swedish football instead.
Left-back McWilliams featured in all of the Minstermen's last five matches of the season, starting in the final four.
Winger Shepherd made four
substitute outings during the
campaign while Ratcliffe is yet to taste first-team football.
His fellow centre-back Stimpson, meanwhile, will leave KitKat Crescent also without a senior game under his belt.
City manager Colin Walker said: "Macca and Shep have been knocking on the door for a while so they were two certainties to be offered deals from a while back. Macca's performances at the end of the season suggested he can be in the first-team squad rather than an emerging pro so that's good.
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"Shep's got plenty of promise and we will get into that next season. He can be
unstoppable at times and we've
got to nurture that by making sure he does the right things in the right areas. He's a York lad who's proud as punch to be signing for the club.
"Josh is a centre-half with pace who's played in most of our reserve games and has got better as time's gone on.
"He's got a lot to learn but there's always a little risk involved with giving out pro contracts and I'm hoping that when he comes in full-time he will learn from the other pros."
From Back Page
Walker added that he felt Stimpson's decision to seek new pastures might have been down to financial considerations.
He said: "We made him an offer and he turned it down.
"I've only just found out but I wish him all the best.
"It might have been a financial thing because we don't offer lots of money to our young players and he maybe felt he could do better elsewhere."
Meanwhile, City are only £3,000 short of the target needed to guarantee youth-team football is fully funded at the club next
season.
Further donations from
supporters over the weekend means £7,000 has now been raised since an appeal to meet a
£10,000 shortfall in funding was started by first-team coach driver Colin Swann last month.
Anybody who would like to
contribute to the appeal can
send cheques payable to "YCFC Ltd" to KitKat Crescent or
phone club secretary Nick Bassett on 0870 777 1922.
Have your say
Would Andy McWilliams be your first choice full-back next season?
Posted by: ianbenton, Devon on 2:32pm Wed 7 May 08
not sure if its us giving them a chance or us being skint !!
fair play especially to mcwilliams who looked fairly solid at the back, and would of liked to of seen some of shepherd playing at the end of last season.
not we are still light in midfield and up top
not sure if its us giving them a chance or us being skint !!
fair play especially to mcwilliams who looked fairly solid at the back, and would of liked to of seen some of shepherd playing at the end of last season.
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