NEIL Lennon can see himself building a team around Wanderers prodigy Zach Clough next season.

Finances will again be tight for the Whites boss as he looks to rebuild his squad this summer forcing him to search for bargain buys at home and abroad.

But the Northern Irishman has already identified a “spine” of players he wants to retain – led by academy graduate Clough, who burst on to the scene with six goals in 10 appearances before seeing his campaign ended by a dislocated shoulder.

He also hinted at an extended stay for exciting Portuguese youngster Rochinha, who has filled in since Clough’s injury at the start of March.

“If we haven’t got the finances to go out there and buy what we want, then we’ve got to be imaginative,” he said. “We’ve got to go and see if there are any little nuggets out there.

“I think we’ve found one in Rochinha and you’re thinking with him and Zach Clough – would you want to build a team around someone with that quality? Without heaping too much pressure on Zach, yes you would.

“So there’s your starting point. I have got some good players but they need some help.

“I want it to be a better season next year but we need to get absolutely safe in this one first.”

Although the Whites are still five points short of the manager’s target of 50 for safety, a win against relegation-haunted Blackpool this weekend should allow Lennon to start looking towards the summer.

After playing Josh Vela and Tim Ream out of position for much of the season, he made no secret of the fact full-back is a position he is looking to strengthen.

“We need to balance the squad out a lot better; certainly a lack of full-backs is something we need to address going forward,” he said.

“Full-backs are an important position in the modern game and I would like them to be able to handle the ball well. But some of those cost a lot of money.”

Lennon has also given Wanderers fans an insight into the make-up of the players he will be looking to recruit.

“Character is a big thing for me,” he said. “And also if the team is losing I want to see how that player reacts. Does he pick the team up by the scruff of the neck?

“If you’re two or three-nil down, does he have the enthusiasm to keep going? That tells me a lot about a player. You learn more about them in defeat.

“Stamina, enthusiasm for the game, pace and then quality at the end – that’s what I want out of the players who come in.”