Hands off our Sean!

3:00pm Thursday 15th May 2008

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DAVE Byrne has sounded a hands off' warning to growing Premier League interest in starlet Sean Morrison - insisting the defender will play a key role in next season's Championship push.

Town's assistant boss has revealed at least two Premier League clubs "would sign Morrison tomorrow" but has reassured fans the 17-year-old, right, will still be a Swindon player next season.

Everton and Sunderland are known to be big admirers of the giant teenager although Town are staying quiet on the exact identity of Morrison's potential suitors.

In the wake of former Town youth players Lukas Jutkiewicz and Ben Tozer joining Everton and Newcastle respectively over the past 12 months, the County Ground's next generation are already attracting attention.

Jack Winter and Tom Evans have just received Welsh youth call-ups while a host of Premier League clubs continue to monitor Town's latest on the production line - but Byrne insists the selling culture' is no more.

Byrne said: "We could sell Sean Morrison to two Premier League clubs tomorrow.

"They are desperate to take him and have made their interest in him very clear.

"But he is going absolutely nowhere. We have a board who will invest in the youth now and we are in a position where we dictate what happens.

"That is down to Andrew Fitton and all the hard work his board have put in. I am not saying we don't need money just because they are in charge but we have got the backing to say if we don't want to sell we won't."

Morrison made his full debut in Town's final game of the campaign against Millwall and showed enough to suggest he has a big career ahead of him.

Byrne said: "Sean's emergence means we don't need to go out and buy a centre back. This has to be the season where he is looking to make an impression.

"Of course we could take the money for Sean but we don't want to let him go and so we won't. It is great to be able to say that."