Trio still negotiating as four young guns are offered first professional deals

Contract negotiations with the trio of players Grimsby Town have been attempting to retain are still ongoing with no decisions made as yet.

Although talks with Max Wright and Charles Vernam are progressing, it is understood a deal for Billy Clarke is more unlikely as he wants to keep his options open at this time.

With hopes high that the new season could start in September – possibly on September 12 – Ian Holloway’s squad-building will start to gather pace over the coming weeks.

Four players have already been offered pro deals from the Youth team ranks – Joe Starbuck, Duncan Idehen, Joe Hope and Cameron Painter.

That quartet may find more opportunities than usual with Holloway’s side, as squad sizes at lower league clubs are expected to be smaller post-Covid 19.

Grimsby Town Youth boss Neil Woods outlined the characteristics of the new recruits.

Speaking to his club website, he said: “Joe Starbuck has done it the really hard way.

“He stayed on to do his A-levels, but the school supported him tremendously with his commitments here.

“He is a really good athlete. Some fans may have seen him play against Scunthorpe in an EFL Trophy game last season.

“He can play right-back, centre midfield or wide right. He is a very intelligent footballer and a very intelligent lad.

“I think he has a good chance of progressing over the next year to get on the fringes of the first team.

“Duncan Idehen is a centre-half we took from Lincoln in his second year. He is very quick, very athletic.

“He has come out of himself a lot in the last year and developed into a very competent player.

“He is a left-footed centre-half, a good listener and a good learner.

“Training with the first team will allow him to understand the physicality needed.

“I think he can be an asset for the club in the future.

“Joe Hope, a left back, had a very difficult first year. He had a knee operation after damaging it playing as an under-16 in the under-18s.

“He had an operation and missed all pre-season in his first year. He came back and three days in did exactly the same injury on the other knee.

“He came back again, worked really hard and took a bit of getting going which we all understood.