Burnley teenager Vernon Masara has secured his first taste of senior football after completing a month-long youth loan move to English seventh-tier side FC United of Manchester.
The Clarets confirmed the switch in a statement, noting:
“Burnley Football Club can confirm that Vernon Masara has joined Northern Premier League side FC United of Manchester on a month-long youth loan. The move is the 18-year-old’s first taste of senior football, having signed professional terms with the Clarets in May 2024.”
Masara, who was born in the UK to Zimbabwean parents, was one of just three players aged 18 or under retained on professional contracts by Burnley ahead of the new season.
Though officially registered as an U18 last term, the versatile youngster spent much of the campaign featuring for the U21s and capped off a breakthrough year by being named Burnley’s Academy Player of the Season.
The temporary switch to FC United is expected to accelerate his development by exposing him to competitive men’s football for the first time.