Guiseley manager Mark Bower reckons that Ben Whitfield will return to the club a better player after his trial with a full-time professional club.

The Lions’ Academy star, who helped the youth team through to the first-round proper of the FA Youth Cup, and made his senior debut in the recent West Riding County Cup tie against Selby Town, has been training this week with Huddersfield Town, and will continue there next week.

“He is still our player,” said Bower, “but working with quality players in a full-time environment can only help him.

“Things like this are a vindication of the work that Danny Ellis and Colin Seal etc are doing with the Academy, and Ben isn’t the only one who is on the rise. There is also Luke Porritt and Kyle Harrison.”

Bower is set to freshen things up on Saturday at home to Altrincham as Danny Forrest (hamstring), Adam Lockwood and Jack Rea will be missing.

The Lions boss said: “Locky is probably going to be a bit short for the Altrincham game, and Jack is still on his crutches and is likely to be out for a couple of weeks yet.”

Bower added of the performance against Avenue that took them into the last 16 of the Carlsberg FA Trophy: “We had two Academy players on the bench for us so a lot of credit goes to the players out on the pitch.”

Guiseley are at Harrogate Town on Boxing Day before the return fixture on New Year’s Day, and in between that the Lions host Gainsborough Trinity on Saturday, December 28.

They travel to Brackley Town on Saturday, January 4 before the long trip to Aldershot Town in the Trophy on Saturday, Jan-uary 11.

The club are subsidising travel for the Guiseley fans that day. A supporters’ coach is available at £10 per head, leaving Nethermoor at 9am. Contact 07518-445861 for more details.