THREE Clock Face Miners have signed professional forms with Saints and Widnes – becoming the first of the club’s juniors to sign with a top flight club for more than half a century.

The club have to turn the clock back to 1955 for the last fully fledged Saints player they supplied - Wilf Smith.

Half back Smith went on to have a long, trophy-laden career at Saints, winning every domestic honour in the game during 14 years at Knowsley Road.

So Clock youngster Lewis Hatton is following in some pretty illustrious footsteps in signing for Saints.

Jack Houghton and Connor Cutts have also signed with Widnes Vikings, with the three lads being the first to sign top flight professional forms from Miners’ junior section since its formation 12 years ago. Hatton was Saints’ U16s Scholarship Player of the Year, last season.

Houghton is the grandson of former Blackbrook and Saints player John.

A club spokesman said: “Clock Face also have another ten lads on scholarships at various clubs so hopefully these lads won't be the last.

“And certainly that the gap won’t be so long anyway.”