AT the end of last season Clarets boss Stan Ternent released six players from his first team squad.

In the wake of the ITV Digital crisis the "Turf Moor Six" joined hundreds of other professionals who were in the wilderness and looking for a club.

Now, two weeks into the new season, Matt Horn tracks down where they are and what they are doing...

KEVIN BALL

THE former Sunderland midfielder featured in most of the Clarets matches last season and he is still hoping to prolong his playing career after 544 League games.

Ball will be 38 in November but he still feels fit and he has attracted attention from a number of clubs.

"Brighton were interested in me but I decided it was just too far from my home in the north east," he explained.

"There was also a possibility of playing for Carlisle. That would have been ideal because it is only about an hour away but it didn't happen.

"I know clubs are short of money and I understand that Burnley had to trim their squad. I will just have to wait and see what will happen."

Ball has been keeping fit by running and playing football with his 15-year-old son who is currently at Sunderland's football academy.

"I have been ticking over and it has been great to spend a bit of time with my two kids for a change," he added.

"It is the first pre-season I have missed in my career so it has been a bit strange but there are a lot of people in a similar position."

LENNIE JOHNROSE

THE 32-year-old believes he is as fit as he has been for many seasons after working hard through pre-season but he has turned down the chance to play for Steve McMahon at Blackpool.

"I have still been doing a bit of training down at Blackpool but after I asked for a bit of time to think about their offer they brought in a couple of loan players and signed Paul Dalglish," he explained.

"That is about all they can do at the moment so I am going to have to see what happens next. I still want to play and I hope that I can get something.

"But the fact that none of the lads that Stan has let go has managed to get anything shows how bad things are at the moment.

"The ITV Digital thing has hit very hard."

MITCHELL THOMAS

THE experienced defender was an interested spectator at Molineux on Saturday afternoon as the Clarets lost to Wolves.

Like Ball he left Burnley in the hope that he could prolong his playing career despite the fact he is 38 next birthday and during the summer he was linked with moves to clubs including Reading and Luton Town where he started his long and distinguished career.

But for the moment he is working with the sports agency that is run by Jerome Anderson and looks after the interests of a lot of professional footballers.

Whether he will ever pull his boots on at League level again remains to be seen. He is just 14 games short of 600 League appearances.

JOHN WILLIAMSON

THE 21-year-old defender is still battling to be fully fit having never totally recovered from the broken foot that restricted his chances last season.

A product of the youth system at Turf Moor he still hopes to have a future in the game but he said: "It is is hard time to be trying to get a club because it is like a cattle market.

"In a couple of weeks I will be going down to Burton Albion and I hope that I can get involved there.

"It is local to me and they are now in the Conference and on the up. I know the manager Nigel Clough and the club's chief scout and they have asked to have a look at me.

"At the moment I am doing some coaching at Derby County, working with kids aged from six-13 and I am enjoying it. I do some coaching at the club but I have also been going around the schools. It keeps me busy and working outside.

"I have done my FA coaching certificate and I am going to be doing my UEFA B badge soon.

"That will be down at Lilleshall and hopefully I will be able to combine that with playing for a Conference side."

At the back end of last season he had a trial game for Swindon and while the manager asked to be kept informed about him, nothing has happened as yet.

Williamson admitted: "It has been a tough time but I am happier than I was last season. I fractured my bone and although it was in plaster for six weeks it didn't heal properly.

"And it was hard to break into the first team at Burnley and only Brad Maylett has done it recently. Nigel Clough gives a lot of young players a chance and I know a few of them so maybe something will happen."

Williamson played just one League game for the Clarets but he admitted: "I still have ambitions about playing at League level but I know I have to look at other options and that is why I am doing the coaching."

LUIGI CENNAMO

THE young Greek keeper's Turf Moor career virtually ended after his hapless introduction to the first team at Cheltenham in the FA Cup.

He conceded two goals very quickly, looked short of confidence and was banished to the reserves, never again even making the bench.

When the 22-year-old was released by Ternent he went back to the Greek third division Panelessiniakos in Athens but he has since left there and is currently not believed to have a club.

TONY ELLIS

AFTER a long and distinguished goalscoring career that has taken him all over the North West, the veteran striker tried his luck Down Under.

An injury forced him to come back from Australia although he still has hopes of returning in a dual coaching and playing role.

But for the moment he is looking to continue playing at Nationwide Conference level with yet another North West club Leigh RMI.