FORMER Joseph Rowntree pupils Michael Vickers and Carsten Armstrong have signed their first professional football contracts.

The Premier Soccer School graduates have both left Barnsley's academy team to join First Division clubs.

Free-scoring Vickers, who found the net on a regular basis for the Tykes last season, has decided to move to ex-European Cup winners Nottingham Forest despite interest from a number of clubs.

He has also recently returned from a tournament in Holland where he played against famous clubs like PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord, Dynamo Kiev and Bayer Leverkusen.

Armstrong has moved across Yorkshire to sign for Rotherham United, having previously captained the county team and played a major part in the success of Barnsley's academy side. The 16-year-old has also already made his Millers reserve team debut.

Both players attended Premier Soccer School's Advanced Coaching Centre at Huntington School from an early age.

The School also run fun-based coaching sessions every Saturday morning at Archbishop Holgate's School.

There are also further courses held around York throughout the school holidays and, in addition, Premier Soccer School work with the Kick It Out campaign in Haven Europe holiday parks throughout France. For further information call 01904 692444.

Updated: 10:52 Thursday, June 10, 2004