London: Luke Shaw has signed a new five-year contract which commits him to Southampton until 2018, Goal.com can reveal.
The details of the deal have not been officially announced, but it is understood the 17-year-old’s wages will rise to £12,000-a-week.
Shaw is said to be delighted to have put to rest months of speculation linking him with a move to Chelsea and Arsenal after making an impressive start to life in the Premier League.
A January move was widely expected, but the player’s first preference was always to remain with the Saints, who boast an impressive track record of developing their young stars.
In an interview with the club’s official website, Shaw said: "I think Southampton is the place to be for young kids like me. I’m playing in the Premier League for the first team and that is all anyone wants to be doing, so I just want to carry on.
"I have been at Southampton since a very young age so I`ve been here a long time now. I think they are happy with me here, and this club is great for young players like us.
"If you look back over the years, Adam [Lallana] has come through the youth system and now he is the captain of the First Team, and Prowsey [James Ward-Prowse] has just signed a five-year deal – and that is what I want to be doing.
"We have a lot of trust in our youth and there are more players coming through next year, so hopefully we will just carry on going."
Goal.com
First Published: Thursday, January 10, 2013, 19:06