BURNLEY manager Eddie Howe is hoping young professionals Alex MacDonald and Wes Fletcher will pledge their immediate future to the club.

The Clarets boss offered new deals to four members of the development squad, from which Alex-Ray Harvey and Dominic Knowles put pen to paper last week.

Howe is waiting on the attacking duo to complete the set, but has backed them to be knocking on the door of the first team next season if they commit.

Both were loaned out this season, with Fletcher scoring once in his 11 games for Stockport County, after making his Burnley debut as a late substitute against Morecambe in the Carling Cup last August.

MacDonald returned from his spell with Scottish Premier League side Inverness Caledonian Thistle with the same ratio, after blazing a goal trail for the Clarets’ second string.

The 21-year-old has struggled to establish himself at Turf Moor since making the breakthrough under Owen Coyle towards the end of the 2007/08 season and going on to make six appearances in the play-off winning campaign.

Like Jay Rodriguez, Burnley’s Premier League season disrupted his progress.

But Howe believes youth team products Fletcher and MacDonald are capable of kicking on next season, as he bids to crank up the club’s production line.

“I think it’s a massive part of this club and the future of the club to bring youth players through,” said the Clarets boss.

“For a whole host of reasons they're important to the club and to me and it's up to us to give them good coaching and good opportunity and exposure to the first team, and a chance to bring them through that much quicker.

“Wes is a player that we like.

“He has got very good attributes. He’s quick and he’s got an eye for goal. They’re not two bad qualities for a centre forward.

“He hasn’t had a lot of football this year so next year we need to make sure he’s playing regularly.

“He’s a player with potential, as all the other lads are, and getting around the first team and getting exposed to it is all part of it.”

Of MacDonald, Howe added: “He’s a good lad and he’s got a bright future ahead of him if he keeps his head down and works hard.

“He’s trained well at Inverness and been impressive up there, he’s just found it difficult to make that breakthrough.

“I’ve had a couple of conversations with (Inverness manager) Terry Butcher.

“It’s disappointing because we wanted him to play, that’s the reason he went.

“The Scottish Premier League’s a decent standard, so it’s a shame for his development, but he’ll come back next season and I know he’s very keen to do well.

“From the first day I came in he impressed me. He’s got talent, it’s just trying to nurture that talent and develop it in the right way and hopefully he’ll be knocking on the door.”