Hoskin Appointed To New Coaching Role
Burnley Football Club has appointed former player Ashley Hoskin as the club’s new development and reserve team coach.
Hoskin, who steps up from his position as skills and technical coach and under-14s manager within the Clarets’ centre of excellence, will be in charge of a new squad of young players being created at Turf Moor for the start of next season.
And the 42-year-old will also run the Clarets’ reserve team in the totesport.com reserve league.
Burnley manager Brian Laws said: ‘This is one of the most important roles in the football club.
‘Historically, Burnley Football Club has had a wonderful reputation for producing young talent and bringing them into the fold.
‘This area will need to be strong and hand-picking the right person was essential to work with the young players to ensure a smooth transition.
‘And we want this transition not only to be smooth, but also a rapid one so that these players become available for the first team.
‘Therefore an internal appointment was an important part of the process because we have excellent support staff here.
‘I would personally like to wish Ashley all the very best in this role. I have confidence in his ability and we look forward to seeing the fruits of his labours.’
The new development squad has been created by Laws to help nurture the club’s young talent and provide a stepping stone between the youth set-up and the first-team environment.
Hoskin is hoping to work on a daily basis with a squad of around a dozen players which will initially include second-year professionals Chris Lynch, Nik Kudiersky, Chris Anderson, Alex-Ray Harvey and Wes Fletcher and new first-year professionals Dominic Knowles and Michael King.
Some of the younger members of Laws’ first-team squad are also likely to be involved, along with one or two of the most progressive members of the Clarets’ youth squad working under Terry Pashley and Andy Farrell.
The development squad will then form the core of the Clarets’ match-day reserve team, supplemented by senior players as and when required by Laws.
Hoskin said: ‘I have been involved with the club on and off since I was 14 so I am absolutely delighted to be offered this position.
‘The gaffer came through the youth system here and so did I so it would be fantastic if I could help get two or three more young players into the first-team.’
Hoskin made over 100 appearances for Burnley between 1985 and 1989 and since retiring has coached within the Clarets’ centre of excellence for the past 12 years.
The former Clarets’ winger, qualified to ‘A’ licence level, also had a spell on the coaching staff at Accrington Stanley and then returned to Turf Moor in a full-time capacity in January, 2008
The Final Pre-Season Friendly List
The date for the traditional pre-season friendly against Accrington Stanley at the Crown Ground has been confirmed in addition to the second match we will play on our Far East tour of Singapore.
The finalised friendly fixtures for this summer now read as follows:
Bury (A): Saturday 10th July 3pm Kick-Off)
Oldham Athletic (A): Monday 12th July 7pm Kick-Off)
Singpaore Tour: 17th July-26th July
-Home United: Tuesday 20th July 7:30pm Kick-Off (Local time)
-Gombak United:Thursday 22nd July 7:30pm Kick-Off (Local time)
-Singapore Asian Games Team (Asian Challenge Cup): Saturday 24th July 7:30pm Kick-Off (Local time)
Accrington Stanley (A):Tuesday 27th July.
7:45pm Kick-Off)
Stoke City (H): Saturday 31st July 3pm Kick-Off)
David Nugent Not in Prem Demand?
David Nugent,our former on loan striker from Portsmouth last season is so far struggling to find a Premier League home.
Nugent made it plain he would not be happy playing Championship football for the Clarets or fellow relegated parent club,Portsmouth next season and would be seeking a move to a Premier League club in order to achieve his ambitions.
Pompey administrator Andrew Andronikou said recently:
‘I am told he is trying to stay in the Premier League and Bolton are interested.
‘We are looking at £2.5m upwards – that would be a good fee. We are certainly not going to recoup what we have paid for him, while I would like to avoid paying his level of wages.’
You would think a move to our former manager’s club would be the most likely in view of Coyle being known to be keen on Nugent and having previously signed him on loan for the Clarets.
However as reported recently on Vital Burnley, Coyle has distanced himself from the Nugent speculation, claiming he has made no approach for the 25-year-old frontman.
‘I haven’t spoken to anyone about David,’ he told the Bolton News, said Coyle
‘Don’t get me wrong, I think he’s a really good player who I worked with very closely at Turf Moor. And I’m happy to get linked with good players.
‘But I’m not looking to bring him to Bolton, and I certainly haven’t made any offers for him, as Portsmouth seem to be suggesting.’
So what now for Nugent? With no rumours linking him to another Premier League club will he have to lower his sights and backtrack on his ambitions?
There has been recent speculation suggesting that Rangers might be keen to bring him north of the border. The Scottish Sun says Gers have been told that one of their main targets, Tommy Smith will cost them £2million which they are not prepared to pay for a 30 year old striker.
Instead it would appear thay are ready to switch their focus onto the 25 year old England international.
If the rumour is true would he consider a move to the SPL to be a backward move or a stepping stone? Only time will tell!
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