LEE CLARK has reassured Town’s young guns they will get their chance to shine.

Of the club’s five first-year professionals, only Jack Hunt has appeared in the first-team squad.

The versatile right-sided player made the bench for the FA Cup second-round win at Port Vale and Saturday’s League I home victory over Gillingham.

Like Hunt, Spencer Harris, who has just joined UniBond League Curzon Ashton on a month’s loan, Liam Ridehalgh, Leigh Franks and Lewis Nightingale have all featured at reserve level.

And while there hasn’t been a totesport.com League game since mid-November, and the next isn’t until Wednesday, January 13, when Bradford City visit Emley, manager Clark says the quintet are being constantly assessed.

“I watch all the reserve games and I see them day in, day out in training,” said Clark.

“I won’t just put a player in for the sake of gaining experience – they have to be up to doing a job if called upon, and Jack Hunt has made the squad on merit.”