THE floodlights have gone out at Leyland’s County Ground and a sharp winter breeze is blowing through the air but Burnley Under-23 boss Steve Stone is more than happy chatting football.

The Clarets came from two down to beat Bolton 4-2 last week and then 3-0 at Hull City on Friday night to continue their good run of form in the Professional Development League.

Stone’s feeling for the game is clear, he played at the highest level and he wants this crop of Clarets youngsters to aim high.

His passion comes through on the touchline and in conversation and he is determined to build a bridge from Under-23 football to first team success at Burnley.

“I am trying to build a relationship, which is what I was brought into do, between the first team and the 23s,” Stone told the Lancashire Telegraph.

“It is not an extension of the first team by any means because these boys are really young. “But it has to look like the first team so that when they step up and train with them they know what the manager (Sean Dyche) wants.

“The manager wants grit and determination and people who give their all and then people who can play as well and understand the game.

“The model is based on the first team model, it has got to be.”

Watching the Under-23s you can see shades of the senior squad, two up front, a willingness to work hard, defenders who defend first and players fighting for each other.

“It has to run,” said Stone of the characteristics shared throughout Burnley. “It doesn’t have to run completely through the club but it has to run down to a certain area.

“The 18s have to do it with a bit of freedom, the 16s can probably do what they want a little bit but understand the principles of what we do at Burnley in terms of running hard and all the rest of it. But they still have to have the technical aspect of the game at 16 and 18, they are just a little bit freer to do what they want.

“But when it gets up to me they need to know exactly what I am about to try and get them a career in the game or a first team place.”

Dyche has called on some of Stone’s youngsters this term, Dwight McNeil has broken through into the first team while the likes of Ali Koiki, currently on loan at Swindon Town, and Josh Benson - excellent against Bolton - have been involved in matchday squads.

But Stone believes there is more to come.

Having impressed the work ethic on his squad, he now wants to sprinkle on the stardust.

He added: “People forget the game is about running, second balls, first balls, first contact to then allow you to play.

“We have certainly got that first bit in abundance at the moment, we need to get better at the second bit but we will.”