YORK City Knights will make a final decision on trialist Callum Lancaster this week - but head coach James Ford has intimated the club want to keep him.

Lancaster, labelled a Hull FC wonderkid when he breezed onto the Super League with two quickfire hat-tricks as a 17-year-old, has played twice and been 18th man once for the Knights during his one-month trial spell, scoring a cracking try in the big win over Coventry Bears when catching a kick at full pace down the right flank.

"We've not come to a decision yet," said Ford when asked if the speedy 20-year-old winger was set to stay permanently.

"He's got lots of positives. He's played two games and scored a special try, but I don't feel he's played anywhere near his best yet - there's some better form in him.

"We will make a decision at some point (this week). We'd like to keep Callum at the club and help to develop him into the best player he can be but we need to sit down and talk to him and we will go from there."

Lancaster, a former England Academy flier, scored eight tries in five appearances for Hull after breaking onto the scene in 2014, including hat-tricks against Widnes and Warrington.

He only made one top-tier appearance in 2015, though, scoring a try against Wigan, and one again in 2016, in a victory over Warrington. His only other senior appearance in that time came on dual-reg for Doncaster in a League One Cup defeat to London Skolars.

He bagged 19 tries for Hull’s reserves last year but, after limited opportunities in the under-23s this season and dwindling first-team prospects following some high-profile signings, he was released by the Airlie Birds last month.

Championship big guns Hull KR were tipped as likely suitors, but he joined League One York on trial after weighing up his options in his search for regular rugby.