Northern Ireland Under-21 midfielder Jake Dunwoody has agreed a fresh deal with Stoke City.
The midfielder, who joined the Potteries club two years ago from Manchester City, is understood to have signed a rolling pro deal with the Barclays Premier League outfit.
After a promising 2016-17 season with Stoke’s Under-18s, he will now be joining their Under-23 set-up where he will be hoping for regular starts and perhaps even forays into the first team environment.
The 19-year-old captained Stoke’s Under-18s to the FA Youth Cup semi-finals last season - where they lost out to Manchester City - and earned his first cap for Northern Ireland at Under-21 level against Estonia last month.
Dunwoody told Stoke City’s official website that he is “delighted” after signing a professional deal with the Potters.
“I’m over the moon with it. I’ve been looking forward to it all year and worked hard to earn it,” he said.
“I’m just looking ahead to next season now with the Under-23s where I want to play regularly and help the side finish higher up the league table than last year. I’ll just keep my head down and work hard and see what happens.”
The youngster said the run to the Youth Cup semis will always stick with him as one of his proudest moments.
He pointed out: “I wish we could have reached the final but it was a great achievement to get to where we did especially when you consider it was some 30 years since the club had reached that stage of the competition.
“I will remember it for the rest of my life because the FA Youth Cup is a big thing at that level so to do well in it and be captain of the side was superb.”
Image courtesy of Stoke City FC
