Fulham midfielder Luke Harris has signed his first professional contract.
He's put pen to paper on a three year deal, committing his future to the club until 2025.
Earlier this week Harris earned his first senior call-up to the Welsh national team and could make his full international debut against Belgium next week.
The Club is delighted to announce that Luke Harris has signed his first professional deal, tying him to Fulham until the summer of 2025.
The 17-year-old set the Under-23s league alight last season with his consistently superb performances, scoring a total of 13 goals across 18 appearances in all competitions. That made the attacking midfielder the fourth highest scorer in the division, as well as the only player to score four goals in a single game.
His numbers led to senior experience in the summer, when he flew off to Portugal with the First Team and featured in our pre-season friendlies. He notably won a penalty in our 2-0 win over OGC Nice.
Harris started this campaign in the same vein of form, banging in another hat-trick against an experienced Chelsea Under-21s side before going on to grab two more against Wolves and Hull City most recently. His impressive performances caught the eye of Wales Head Coach Rob Page, who this week gave the youngster his first senior international call-up.
Speaking to the official website, Harris was thrilled after signing on: "I'm really pleased to extend my time here at Fulham having been here from a young age.
"I couldn’t have done it without my parents who sacrificed a lot for me, driving me away on the weekends as a young kid, so they deserve a lot of credit. I’m enjoying my football and I'm very excited for what lies ahead.
"The Club means a lot to me and my family. I’m grateful to Fulham as they’ve given me opportunities and helped me progress from the Academy right through to the First Team."
Marco Silva has shown his willingness to use youth since joining Fulham, and Harris is one of several to have benefited.
"I'm very happy to be part of the First Team and I’m really enjoying training with Marco, the staff and the players. I've settled in well and will continue to work and stay focused.
"It’s great to see that there’s a pathway for young footballers at Fulham, which gives me belief that I will get a chance to show what I can do."
In his press conference this week, Marco was full of praise for the teenager: "He's been with us since the first day of pre-season. I spoke with him last May about the project for him at this Club.
"He will get games, he will be on the bench, he will have some minutes. We have to be patient with him, and not push pressure around him.
"Now we have to help him grow as a player. He will have his time in the First Team, because he has the quality."
Academy Director Mike Cave added: "Luke has consistently, over the last 12 months, demonstrated his outstanding capabilities as a footballer. He was a regular in the Under-23s last season as a first-year scholar and highlighted his maturity and capacity to perform at the highest level.
"I’m delighted Luke has decided to extend his contract as he looks ahead to the next challenge - breaking into Marco’s team."