Young Clarets keeper Aghayere offered new terms

The Madrid-born goalkeeper, 18, who is currently on loan at non-league club Colne FC until the end of the season, will link-up with the Development Squad next season.

Aghayere will join fellow scholar Khius Metz in the U21 group, and Academy Head of Goalkeeping Craig Mawson is happy to keep the evolving Spaniard.

Mawson said: “I’m very pleased to have Tony on board for next season. He works hard every day and he has improved massively over his two-year scholarship, and we are confident there’s still a lot to come from him.

“We sent Tony out to Colne really to expose him to first team football, however we didn’t expect the overall improvements to his game that he has added.

“He is a big lad and you forget sometimes when you’re looking at him that he’s still only 18-years-old, and to give him another 12-months in this environment will only improve his game further.”

The former Manchester City youngster has matured in his loan spell, something that Mawson was looking for out of the loan.

He added: “With the loan to Colne, we just really wanted him to feel what it’s like to walk into a dressing room of men not knowing anyone on and off the pitch.

“He was really out of his comfort zone but he really needed to work on his social interaction skills, communication, personality and his pitch presence, but in the short time of him being there, he has certainly improved in all of them departments.

“Colne are near the top of the league, playing in front of crowds, playing for points and there’s a real pressure to win points, things that he has embraced and has really kicked him on.”

Mawson added: “I can’t express how thankful we are to Colne for all of their efforts with Tony.

“The manager Steve Cunningham and all of his staff have really looked after him and they have shown brilliant professionalism towards him the way they have developed him and to give him an opportunity which is vital.

“It’s been great to forge this link between local non-league clubs and from my point of view, we won’t have any problem in doing this again in the future, as Colne can take great credit in the all of the progress Tony has made in his short time there.”