West Ham United are delighted to announce that highly-rated Academy graduate Reece Burke has signed his first professional contract with the Club.
18-year-old defender Burke has already made his mark at senior level, featuring twice for the first team, and has now put pen-to-paper on a deal which will keep him at the Boleyn Ground until 2017.
It caps a rapid rise to prominence for the Newham-born player, who joined the Hammers at the age of nine and made his first team debut in the FA Cup at Nottingham Forest last season whilst still a first-year scholar.
Despite tasting defeat that day, he continued to make steady progress last term and enjoyed a fine pre-season, which included a trip to the Schalke Cup, and a first Boleyn Ground goal in the 3-2 victory over UC Sampdoria.
He then started at senior level for the first time as the Hammers took on Sheffield United in the Capital One Cup and he has continued to form a regular part of Sam Allardyce's squad.
He exclusively told West Ham TV: "It's a great achievement for me. My first professional contract for the Club and to sign for a great Club like this is really good.
"I started off pre-season away with the first team and obviously did quite well there, came back, scored my first debut goal and have just carried on from there. I'm doing well, and I'm just glad it's come to this."