West Ham United youngster Reece Oxford has put pen-to-paper on a new contract with the club, finally ending speculation over his future.
Having turned 18 on Friday, Oxford celebrated the landmark birthday with a new deal that now keeps him at the London Stadium for another four-and-a-half years.
“I am happy to have signed my new contract,” Oxford told the club’s official website. “There was a lot of speculation about my future but I am happy that it has been done and I can get back to football. I just want to kick on now.
“I have a good relationship with the gaffer and hopefully I can get a lot of game time here. I have seen some of the old players like Joe Cole and Rio Ferdinand and I want to follow in their footsteps.”
Ever since becoming the second youngest-ever player to feature in the Premier League last season in the win against Arsenal at the Emirates, Oxford has been earmarked as one of the brightest prospects in English football.
That comes despite the fact that he has yet to feature in the English top flight at all so far this season, with injuries also setting him back.
According to ESPN FC in September, both United and City were keen on signing him after they had been alerted that his contract talks with the Hammers had stalled.
With 18 months left on his previous deal, there were genuine fears growing at West Ham that they would lose him, particularly with the level of interest being shown in him from rival Premier League clubs.
However, all that has now been put to bed with the new contract, and it will now be down to Oxford to repay the faith shown in him from the club by producing the goods on the pitch for Slaven Bilic’s side in the years to come.