Director of Youth Dean Ramsdale is preparing for the new season with a new set of players entering the youth ranks at North End.

Ramsdale will have a new set of youngsters to work with as Jamie Hoyland's side look to push on from last season's impressive league and cup double.

Speaking exclusively to pne.com, Ramsdale thinks that it will be a big step up for the new first year scholars who will now be looking to make the grade in the next stage of their development. Ramsdale told the official website:

"One or two of them have been in and around our youth team and the Club for a big part of last season. People like Naz (Naim El-Harrati), Will Hayhurst and Doyle Middleton have played reserve games, Matt Dudley and Jordan Bent have played a part in it as well so it is not alien to them, although they will be in every day now.

"That brings a whole new concept to them now they are not at school anymore, so they know that this is their chosen career and they have got two years to prove to us that they can make it to that next level."

After excelling in the Club's Centre of Excellence, the first year scholars will be going in at the bottom of the youth team ladder but Ramsdale believes that the possible rewards are great and clear for the youngsters. Ramsdale said:

"It is incredible how football is like that. They have worked tremendously hard to get a scholarship, they were right at the top of that pile and now they are at the bottom with a bump. But the rewards are there for them and the opportunity is there for them more importantly.

"They were told that last Sunday when they came in that everybody will want to beat them because we are the league and cup winners. It is a little bit different in youth team football because half of that team that won that have now left.

"A few of them have got pro contracts and a few of the boys have left to make their careers elsewhere but it brings a pressure on them and I'm sure that they will grasp it."

After six second year scholars signed on professional terms last season, the next bunch of second year scholars have been acquainted with their old team mates already, with a couple of the players already being involved with the first team training.

"The second years are under no illusions and they know what they need to do," Ramsdale said.

"They know what the previous scholars that got pro contracts have put in and I have to say that they have equipped themselves very well on the first week back.

"It has been great for them to have the group that they're with and they will learn from that. One or two have already been across with the first team too this week which is great."

Ramsdale is extremely pleased that the young professionals are joining in training with the senior players and believes that it is a big lift for morale around the training ground. Ramsdale mused:

"You tend to have a little walk across in the day and speak to Unsy, Kev, the Gaffer and Scott just to see what sessions they are doing.

"It is refreshing to look out of the window at the training ground, obviously we're around the back of the training ground at the start of pre season but looking through the window and seeing our players playing with senior players now is fantastic.

"I spoke to the lads this morning, the list went up for who is going to Spain and I think that they're all there. We had a situation when we couldn't get one on the trip, now they are all on it which is fantastic. But they're not there for any other reason and they have got to achieve now.

"They are all determined to play for Preston North End and they want to work hard and show the manager that they deserve to be here."

Despite the fairytale sounding experience, the manager has ensured that the youngsters will be put through their paces as he looks to develop them further and Preston North End.

"There are big characters in the first team dressing room, certainly with the coaching staff and the gaffer and they will be told in certain terms if they are not doing what they need to do, Ramsdale said. "They have introduced the heart rate monitors this year and there is no place to hide.

"I've no problems or no worries that they will work hard enough, technically they have always got to improve but I look at the first year pros now and look at Danny Mayor and Adam Barton.

"Watching those two train now, every day that goes by shows them get even more comfortable which is great because now the young pros can look to Danny and look to Adam to see what they need to achieve."

As the squad looks to be more compact this season, the first year professionals may get their opportunity to feature for the first team but Ramsdale knows that there is a lot of hard work ahead of them before they can dream of walking out at Deepdale.

"They will probably never have a better opportunity but the gaffer is not going to just give them games, they have got to prove that they deserve to be there.

"We had one or two performances last season where it got them on the bench for the first team, hopefully that will continue and hopefully we can get one or two more to make debuts this season which would be fantastic for the football Club."