TWTD understands that Town have told FA Youth Cup heroes Aidan Collins, Liam Craig and Cathal Lordan that they will not be offered contracts at the end of the season and to look for new clubs. Scottish midfielder Craig has already been offered a deal by SPL side Falkirk.

The release of Collins comes as the biggest shock, the central defender having started the away game at Stoke only a week ago. However, the Chelmsford-born player, now 19, has not made the progress which was expected of him when he was handed a senior debut as a substitute at Derby County on the final day of the 2002/03 season as a 16-year-old.

Collins signed a three-year senior deal soon after his 17th birthday that October, not long after receiving a call into the England U17s.

Craig, skipper of last season's Youth Cup-winning side, has won Scotland caps at U13, U17 and U19 levels, having joined the Blues from Hearts as a schoolboy. Town were due to pay cash to the Edinburgh club if they offered Craig a contract but, with the fee believed to be around £5,000, this is unlikely to have had a bearing on the Blues allowing the left midfielder to leave.

The 19-year-old Scot, who also spent time as a striker and a left-back while with the academy, has not made it as far as a first team squad but is a regular in the reserves. Craig has already received an offer from Falkirk and other offers from clubs north of the border are expected.

Irish midfielder Lordan scored both goals in the drawn first leg of the Youth Cup final at Southampton. The Corkman has won caps at U13 to U18 levels but has had no involvement with the Town first team. The 18-year-old is already pencilled in for a trial at a League One Gillingham.

Town tend to start making decisions regarding academy players at this time of the year in order to give the released players a better chance of finding new clubs than they would get if they waited until the summer.

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