Five of Wanderers’ Academy players today started life as professionals with the Whites.
The five step up from the youth ranks to join the B Team squad on a permanent basis, along with striker Yestin Shakespear who has earned an extended stay as a third-year scholar after part of his original scholarship was disrupted by a lengthy spell out through injury.
Goalkeeper Jack Dallimore, defenders Sean Hogan, Joe Toole and James Westwood and forward Harrison Fleury have all signed their first professional contracts after helping the youth team to a successful campaign in 2023/24.
They now graduate to work under B Team boss Andy Taylor and coach Andrew Tutte as part of the development squad being grown to help bridge the gap between Academy and potentially first-team football at the Toughsheet Community Stadium.
In addition, midfielder Sonny Sharples-Ahmed and defender Noah Halford – who both turned professional last summer – have signed contract extensions to further their stays with the Whites and continue their development as part of the B Team set-up.
Wanderers – who also remain in talks with defender Wes Frimpong over a potential new deal – are set to add a couple more players to the group over the summer but also focus on opportunities and a potential pathway for players who have progressed this far in the Academy at Lostock.
“It’s important to keep moving things forward and growing what is a real project,” said Taylor, who joined Wanderers as B Team coach last season.
“I believe we have some highly talented young players at the club who we want to keep nurturing and developing with a long-term goal of hopefully producing first-team players of the future.
“The lads who have signed their new contracts today fall into that category and congratulations to them on taking the next step along the way.
“We will also add one or two more to the squad to keep building the quality and potential where we can and I’m looking forward to working with them all – alongside Tutty – again this season as part of the long-term strategy of player development.”
Main pic (left to right): Joe Toole, Harrison Fleury, Jack Dallimore, Sean Hogan, Yestin Shakespear, James Westwood.