The teenager received rave reviews from Owen Coyle after lining up with the boss in the reserves, before being invited to train with the first team.

Two cameo appearances in the Championship followed, earning an assist against Cardiff, before an impressive showing at Crystal Palace on the last day.

Add the Youth Team Player of the Year award, and his first professional contract, and it has been a hugely successful end to the season for the Warrington youngster.

Coyle has spoken of his confidence and desire to do well, and that is shown in how he has slotted in with the senior players, and he said: "Hopefully I can push on now, but I'm not getting ahead of myself, I'm going to keep my feet firmly on the ground.

"I've had a great laugh with all the first team lads, and they've all made me feel welcome.

"It's been great training with them and getting a chance.

"They've made me feel part of it, no-one has been awkward about it."

Coyle likes what he sees, searing pace, great attitude and willingness, saying recently: "At this moment in time I'm loathe to put any pressure on the kid, but at 17 he's got a chance.

"I absolute love the hunger, and that's something I like to embrace when I see that in players – that hunger and desire, and that natural enthusiasm.

"He'll make mistakes in games, but he'll run until he drops, and it's just a real lifter, I think, for anyone to come and watch the kid because he's got so much energy."

And MacDonald said: "The gaffer's been brilliant with me since he came here, he's talked to me a lot, told me what to do here and there.

"The first time I played with the gaffer, Steve Davis told me I was going to have a lot of running to do! But it was a brilliant experience to play with him, he taught me a lot.

"He showed me, playing alongside me, where and what to improve, and he's helped a lot in the time I played with him."

Coyle had pointed to working on his finishing, saying: "If anything, the one thing we just need to add at the end is just a little bit of composure in front of goal, because he gets himself in some terrific positions."

Further evidence of his improvement came in the final reserve game of the season last Wednesday, when he steadied himself and picked his spot from Wesleigh Fletcher's pass, and he feels he has learned a lot so far at Turf Moor, with even more to come: "Pash has helped me a lot over the last two years.

"He's told me where I need to improve, and we've worked on things, and I feel I have improved a lot under him, he's been a great coach.

"Vince has also had a lot of input, and he does a lot of work behind the scenes that we don't know about."

The Clarets unearthed a gem when MacDonald caught the eye against a young Burnley side, and he was delighted to join a club with a history and tradition for producing young talent: "I'm from Warrington originally, and I got noticed playing for Cheshire schoolboys against Burnley.

"I had two assists in the game, and it was one of my outstanding performances that season, to be fair.

"So I was really made up to get a call from one of the scouts here, saying he wanted me to come down and train with the Under 16s.

"From there I just progressed, I got signed on at Under 16s level, before signing as an apprentice.

"At the time there was no other interest in me, I was looking for a job and I was going to get an apprenticeship somewhere else.

"My dad had always told me Burnley was a big club for bringing young players through the ranks and into the first team, so it wasn't a hard decision for me to make to sign on."