BACKS coach Sam Vesty has issued a hands-off warning to rival clubs trying to feast upon Worcester Warriors’ young stars.

The former Bath and Leicester Tigers player says Warriors have “got some good ones” and they “want to keep the best” at Sixways.

Teenage back Jamie Shillcock and 22-year-old wing Perry Humphreys have shot to prominence after eye-catching displays in the Premiership.

And Warriors are believed to be in a battle to keep hold of the pair after interest from rival clubs Bristol and Exeter Chiefs.

“We want to keep the best talent with us so we can grow our squad and grow for the future,” said Vesty, who is overseeing Warriors’ European Challenge Cup campaign.

“It’s a competitive market out there and, of course, people will be looking at other players and want to pick the best out of the crop. We’ve got some good ones — that’s why people are looking at them.

“We create good kids and get them to a point where they are very good and we want to hold on to them so we can be good in the future.

“We would like to keep our best talent and I think those two (Shillcock and Humphreys) fit into that category.”

Vesty said Warriors’ squad had an average age of just 22 for last Saturday’s European trip to play Russian side Enisei-STM in Moscow.

Coventry-born Shillcock, 19, is still part of Worcester’s academy but started at full-back and played the entire 80 minutes in the last four Premiership matches.

Shillcock is among six Warriors in the 32-man England Under 20 Elite Player Squad for the 2016-17 season.

Will Butler, Justin Clegg, Zac Xiourouppa, Joe Morris and Ted Hill are also in the squad as England compete in the Six Nations before defending their World Rugby Championship title in Georgia next summer.

Humphreys, a graduate of Warriors’ academy, has crossed the whitewash three times in the top tier.

But he is sidelined after suffering a knee injury in the first half of Warriors’ 34-13 defeat to his former club Leicester Tigers at Welford Road this month.

Vesty said: “It’s the time of year when there’s lots of speculation going around and we are reviewing our own squad while every other club is doing the same.

“Young guys have been given opportunities and taken them over the past six weeks.

“We want to keep the best talent and Worcester is a great place to be if you’re a good talent.

“We have shown that, if you play well, you will get a spot and keep it if you can continue to play well and be the best player in that position.”