Aston Villa have tied young Republic of Ireland under-21 midfielder Jack Grealish down to a new long-term contract that will keep him at the Birmingham club until the June 2018.
The 19-year-old has worked his way up through the club’s academy at the club he supports, making five appearances off the bench in he Premier League and one start in the Capital One Cup.
Grealish has been the subject of a tug of war for his future international loyalty, with England under-21 boss Gareth Southgate, a former Villa player, saying that the door is open for the player to switch allegiances.
Villa boss Paul Lambert has moved to stop the suitors at club level with the new deal and spoke today of the player's potential.
“There’s always an excitement around a young player who comes through the Academy, but the thing is the potential we have signed in Jack Grealish is great for everyone connected with Villa,” Lambert told the Aston Villa website.
“He has a long way to go in the game but the potential that’s in him, we believe, means we could have a really good player in the years to come.
"It's great for everybody here that he's committed to the Club. I'm appreciative of the efforts of Tom Fox, who worked hard on this with the chairman, and we're all delighted.
“We believe Jack can be a really good player for Villa and that’s very encouraging in terms of where we see our future.”
Grealish was thrilled to put pen to paper on the new deal with his family’s strong connections to the club.
“I’m delighted and it’s a dream come true to commit my future to my boyhood club,” Grealish said.
“I’ve grown up supporting the club, in fact I’ve had a season ticket at Villa since I was four years old and came to every game, so this is a big thing for me and my family.
“All of my family are Villa fans and my dad [\Kevin] has been there from the start, all through my career he’s followed me and he hasn’t missed a Villa game this season.
“This has always been a club that plays a big role in the community, it has a family feel to it and I’m proud to be part of that now. This feels like home to me.
“For the manager and the club to show this faith and trust in me, I’m really appreciative and I’m determined to repay that trust.
“I know I have to continue to kick on and push on now, I have to keep developing and progressing and I have to strive to be as good a player as I can possibly be”
