Everton defender Matthew Pennington has signed a new contract with the club.
The 22-year-old committed his future to the Blues in penning an extension to his current deal which will now expire in summer 2019.
Ronald Koeman’s faith in Pennington was repaid with a goal in last weekend’s defeat to Liverpool and followed up with a solid showing in the draw with Manchester United.
And the Warrington-born full-back admits he is excited about his recent first-team resurgence at an increasingly promising time for Goodison Park.
He said: “I’m delighted to extend my stay here and hopefully I can try to cement a place in the first-team now.
“It’s a very exciting time to be Blue. We’ve got a new manager, new players, young players coming through and it’s a great place to be.
“I’m proud every time I wear the blue shirt and go out in front of the fans to play for Everton. That’s been my aim since I came to the club as a young boy and hopefully I can get many more chances to do that.”
Pennington became Everton’s second home-grown graduate to commit his long-term future this week following Tom Davies’ new five-year deal.