York City Knights duo sign professional contracts
Teenagers AJ Towse and Myles Harrison have signed deals until the end of 2023.
York City Knights have confirmed that AJ Towse and Myles Harrison have signed professional deals with the club until the end of 2023.
A statement by the club reads: "The duo initially joined the club in pre-season ahead of the 2020 season and made their debuts for the club in that January’s friendly against Featherstone Rovers.
"They both also featured in this year’s friendly against Hull FC and have been included in the preliminary squad for tonight’s Betfred Challenge Cup clash against Wigan Warriors. All of those appearances were made as Community Dual Registration players, but they have now signed their first professional deals with their hometown club.
"Both are products of community club Heworth ARLFC and have both come through the Knights’ Excel player development program – along with fellow teenager Toby Warren - and will be keen to make their competitive debuts for the club tonight’s against Wigan Warriors in the Betfred Challenge Cup".
Harrison attends York College, another avenue available to players in York and North Yorkshire to develop their game with coaching and support from the York City Knights Foundation.
On their new deals, Head Coach James Ford said: “They’ve impressed everybody at the club with their approach to their own development. They have both worked really hard at all aspects of their game and I’ve seen significant improvement from both of them and, if they continue to work hard, I have no doubt they will continue to do so.
“I’m really proud to be able to give them their debuts (against Wigan Warriors tonight). I wouldn’t be giving them it if they didn’t deserve it and I’m excited to see them compete against what is an elite set of players at an elite club. It will be a great challenge for them.”
Towse, 17, said: “It’s taken a lot of hard work to get here. It means everything, really, and I’m just excited about this season.
“I’ve been working hard for this and for them to turn around and the club say that they want me for three years, it’s really good.”
Fellow 17-year-old Harrison said: “Signing a new deal means a lot to me and my family, especially being a third generation York fan.
"It gives me heaps of confidence, knowing that they have that trust in me".
Scott Rhodes, former Knights player and current Head Coach of the Heworth First Team, said of the pair’s new deals: “It’s brilliant for both of them. They’ve got really good attitudes to work hard and have shown that at Heworth in the past.
“They’re both talented lads and I think that the coaches at Heworth deserve big raps because they’ve done a fantastic job with them.
“They’ve obviously got great potential, James wouldn’t have taken them if they didn’t, and we wish them all the best.”
York City Knights take on Wigan Warriors at the LNER Community Stadium in the third round of the Challenge Cup tonight (7.45pm).