BURNLEY hopes of persuading Mitchell Thomas to join Stan Ternent's Second Division promotion bid next season could be wrecked by a touch of Southern comfort.

For Second Division rivals Millwall have joined the race for the powerful Luton Town defender.

And Luton-born Thomas has spent all his career at Kenilworth Road and with London clubs.

The attractions of a move to Millwall for the 34-year-old defender, rather than leaving his roots behind at this stage of his career, are obvious.

Turf Moor boss Ternent refused point blank to comment on speculation about any of the players he might be chasing as he attempts to build on the foundations put down in the season just ended.

But a contact close to the Thomas family claimed that Burnley were definitely in the running and hoping to tempt him North.

He added: "I believe they are ready to offer more money than Millwall but he has been around here all his life and it could well be he would prefer to go to a London club."

Thomas's vast experience would be an asset to any club at Burnley's level.

He has played for England at youth, under-21 and B team levels and made a lot of top-flight appearances.

Starting at Luton as an apprentice, he made his senior debut as a teenager in the 1982-83 season and topped 100 League games before a big move to Tottenham.

More than 150 League games later, he was on the move to West Ham before returning to Kenilworth Road a few years ago.

Luton, who are in receivership, have offered Thomas a new contract but he is expected to take the opportunity to find a new club.

Should Ternent need to know anything about him, he can turn to Turf Moor star Steve Davis, who moved back to Burnley for £750,000 during last season.

Davis played many games alongside Thomas in the Luton side.

Meanwhile, Ternent is looking to add to the two pre-season friendly matches he has already arranged for Turf Moor against Premiership sides Everton and Sunderland.

Fairly local opposition is expected to feature in his thinking and he said: "The pre-season programme is one of the things I am working on at the moment."

It will be interesting to see if John Mullin will be a Burnley player by the time they meet newly-crowned First Division champions Sunderland in July.

According to North East sources, the former Turf Moor favourite is expected to be given his release from the Stadium of Light this summer when his current contract expires.

Ternent has already admitted his interest in the 23-year-old attacking midfielder, who began his career as a trainee with Burnley.

The major factor could well be whether he would be able to fit into the Turf Moor pay structure and other clubs could also be interested.

But, in any case, Mullin's name will not be the only one being monitored by the manager as he weighs up a number of possibilities in the transfer market.

Wigan are looking for a new manager after sacking Ray Mathias just two days after the 1-0 defeat in the Second Division play-off semi-final at Maine Road.

Mathias, who took over without a contract from John Deehan earlier this season, steered Wigan to Wembley success in the Auto Windscreens Shield and to sixth place in the table but the 2-1 aggregate defeat to Manchester City cost him his job.

Mathias, who was in his second spell with the club having ended a three-year reign in 1989, will be replaced by caretaker boss John Benson, the Latics general manager, until a permanent replacement is found.

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