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Former Glenavon teenager signs first professional contract at Burnley Former Glenavon teenager Troy Savage has described signing his first professional contract at Burnley as “a big achievement for me and my family”. Savage made a move to Turf Moor in 2024 after registering two Premiership appearances for the Lurgan Blues during the 2023/24 season. The 18-year-old was named captain of Burnley’s U18s last season and also played twice in Premier League 2 for the club’s U21s. As part of the scholarship agreement which brought Savage to England, the Northern Ireland U19 international has now signed a new deal until next summer and will now become a permanent part of Burnley’s U21s. “It’s a big achievement for me and my family,” Savage told the club’s website. “Since I started playing football I’ve always worked towards signing a professional contract at a club, and I’m grateful to sign it at Burnley. “It’s been a great two years with different challenges. The FA Youth Cup run was a big thing for us last season, and I loved my time with the U18s. “Hopefully I can now kick on with the U21s, and I know the boys from playing up with them. I can’t wait for the games and hopefully I can get a lot of minutes and keep improving.” Savage captained Northern Ireland’s U19s during March’s European Championship qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Lithuania. Burnley’s Academy Manager, Chris Casper, highlighted Savage’s leadership skills after confirmation of his professional deal and believes he can make further strides next season. “It’s never easy to move away from home at such a young age, but Troy has taken it all in his stride in the last couple of years,” he said. “His leadership skills and technical skills are a great combination, and I look forward to seeing how he develops in the coming season.”