Four members of Chester FC's successful Academy side have penned professional deals with the football club.
Matty Thomson, Alex Downes, Rhain Hellawell and Iwan Murray have all put pen to paper on deals with the Blues and will be part of joint-managers Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley's side first team squad next season.
Right back Thomson, central defender Downes, right midfielder Hellawell and attacker Murray all shone for Academy head coach Calum McIntyre's side during a hugely successful season that saw the under-18s win five trophies, including the National League Alliance U19 League Cup.
Downes, Hellawell and Thomson have all penned one-year deals with the option for the club to extend at the end of the 12 months whilst Murray has put pen to paper on a deal until January 2019 with the option of a further six months.
Once again all four contracts have been funded by the continued sponsorship of the youth set-up by Chester fan Ian Swettenham and Swettenhams Chemists, who also sponsor the West Stand and the Family Zone.
McIntyre said: "I am delighted that these boys will have the opportunity to continue their development at Chester Football Club but I am equally pleased that the football club have acted swiftly in securing them on their first professional contract.
"In recent seasons, the Academy graduates that have progressed into the first team have demonstrated their talents and we firmly believe that we continue to have a conveyor belt of talent ready to progress into the first team and beyond at Chester Football Club.
"Supporters will have seen Matthew Thomson at the back end of last season with Alex Downes and Rhain Hellawell also making substitute appearances in the final games of the National League season. Iwan Murray has had an outstanding season for the Youth Team and will no doubt catch the eye of plenty of Chester supporters.
"It is great news for everyone involved and my thanks to Swettenham Chemists for their continued support of this initiative. These boys realise the hard work starts now as they look to be the latest Academy graduate to make a name for themselves at this football club."
Downes, 18, made his National League debut as a substitute away at Boreham Wood in April of this year while Hellawell, also 18, came on as a substitute in the defeat at home to Maidstone United during the same month.
Thomson, 18, was signed up after being released by Tranmere Rovers as an U16 and played the full 90 minutes in the final two games of the season, a defeat at home to Maidstone and a last-day win at Barrow.
And 17-year-old Murray, who has yet to feature for the first team, will have the chance to impress after some fine performances for the Academy last season.
Cain Noble, who played and scored for the first team in April against Maidstone, and Lloyd Marsh-Hughes, who had been involved in match days squads, both have another year of eligibility in the Scholars programme.
Swettenham said: “Congratulations to Rhain, Alex, Matthew and Iwan on earning their first professional football contracts.
“It’s a great individual achievement, but also a mark of the continuing success of the Chester FC Youth Academy, led by Calum McIntyre and his team of volunteers. The scholarship programme sponsored by Swettenham Chemists is going from strength to strength.
