Youth quintet released

Karl Dryden, Will Thacker, Michael Leslie, Travis Morgan and Chris Rhodes have all been informed that they will be released from their YTS contracts at the end of the current campaign.

Of the club's current youth set-up, it now seems likely that only Tommy Hannigan has any chance of being given a professional contract at the end of the season.

First-year scholars Stef Frost and Bobby Wilson have also impressed Gudjon Thordarson, who has been disappointed with the lack of youngsters competing for a first team place at Meadow Lane.

Goalkeeper Dryden and full-back Thacker both spent time on the first-team bench last season, after impressing then-boss Ian Richardson.

Both are in their second year of their scholarships but will not go on to serve a third and final year.

Midfielder Rhodes (left) is the only one of the five to actually make a senior appearence, that coming on the very last game of Billy Dearden's reign as manager, a 5-2 defeat at Peterborough Utd. The youngster appeared as a late substitute for Simon Baldry, but has not featured in a first-team squad since.

Promising left midfielder Morgan and defender Leslie were key members of the Magpies' FA Midlands Youth Cup winning squad in 2004.