Bolton Wanderers have welcomed 10 new scholars to begin their full-time careers with the club and could see some of them line up at times in the new B team.
The group have put pen to paper on two-year deals in the club's youth teams. It will see them combine training and also obtain an academic qualification under the League Football Education scheme.
Eight of the players have progressed through the Whites’ Academy programme. Two others in the form of Jack Westwood and Giovanni Loureiro linked up with Wanderers last season and have now earned a longer stay.
The group will link up with the club's second-year scholars to become the mainstay of Bolton's youth term squad, headed by lead professional coach Dave Gardiner. The group had previously sampled U19s football in the EFL North-West Youth Alliance.
Wanderers say that the new scholers will also be looking to play a role in the club's new B team, which is being prepared for the beginning of next season. The Whites opted to go down this route rather than introduce an U23s set-up again at this time and it builds on the reserves team which was established last season.
Pre-season training for the group begins in the last week of June. The teenagers which are part of the group includes goalkeeper Jack Dallimore who has been at Wanderers since U15 level.
Midfielder James Westwood linked up with the club last season at U16 level. Forward Harrison Fleury can play across the final third of the putch
Attackers Leo Graham and Anthony Pinto are members of the group which has signed two-year deals. A defensive trio of Sean Hogan, Sam Inwood and Joseph Toole all featured for the club's U19s last season.
Giovanni Loureiro can operate in the number 10 role and attacking midfield, while Yestin Shakespear bagged more than 30 goals in the club's U16s and a hat-trick for the U19s in the Youth Alliance.
