MIDDLESBROUGH have revealed details of the latest batch of young apprentices that they hope will follow in the footsteps of Stewart Downing and Adam Johnson - including a few familiar names.
A new 11-strong intake are set to arrive at the club's Rockliffe Park training base on July 1 with aspirations of adding to the list of 36 who have graduated through to the first team in the last decade.
The first year apprentices include Middlesbrough-born goalkeeper Luke Coddington, whose father Matthew was a goalkeeper for the club's reserves, and he has trained since the age of nine with the club. He has also been included in the England development group and hails from Nunthorpe School.
Another keeper James Montgomery - related to Jim Montgomery, the hero of Sunderland's 1973 FA Cup final victory - joins the Academy as a second-year apprentice from Bede College in Sunderland.
Former Sunderland defender Gary Bennett's son, Andre, from Houghton-le-Spring, will also be stepping up as a versatile midfielder or defender.
Previously with Boro's 2006 UEFA Cup final opponents Sevilla, midfielder Anthony Hernandez, from Gibraltar, joins after impressing while on trial at Rockliffe.
A third keeper, Shane Bland, from Thorntree in Middlesbrough, and Aberdeen-born Keiran Weledji, from Coulby Newham, joins Boro after a spell with Darlington.
Also on the books will be local lads midfielders Lewis Maloney and Jordan Jones as well as striker Zak Boagey, from Hartlepool, and winger Jimmy Warnett from Bishop Auckland.
Striker Adam Garrity, from West Denton in Newcastle, joins after a brief spell with Hartlepool.
* Middlesbrough defender Rhys Williams has earned a recall to the Australia squad.
The 22-year-old is in the squad to face New Zealand on June 5 and Serbia on June 7 in Adelaide and Melbourne respectively.
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