• Premier League

Spearing inks contract extension at Liverpool

In Steven Gerrard's absence, Jay Spearing has formed an impressive midfield partnership with Lucas Leiva © PA Photos

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: We've shown we are not a two-man team - Dalglish
  
• News: Dalglish happy to wait and see on Europe
  
• News: Dalglish praises Spearing impact
  

Jay Spearing has become the latest Liverpool player to commit to the club, signing an undisclosed contract extension at Anfield.

The midfielder, 22, has shot to prominence this season, producing a host of fine performances during his eight league appearances for the first team.

After earning a regular run in the side under Kenny Dalglish, the former FA Cup youth winner has followed in the footsteps of Lucas Leiva and Dirk Kuyt in penning new deals.

Spearing was delighted to have sealed his future, paying tribute to Dalglish and his manager's influence on his performances.

Spearing said he was delighted to have sewn up his future and was quick to pay tribute to manager Kenny Dalglish for giving him his chance to shine.

"I am buzzing to be honest," he told the club's official website. "I'm pleased to have finally put pen to paper and got everything sorted. I've been here for a long time and playing for Liverpool is all I have ever wanted to do, so hopefully I can keep going now.

"It has been a long time coming. I've been in the background and in and around the first team and maybe not had a run in the team, but now I'm getting that run I've been able to show my desire and commitment to the club. I owe a lot to the boss and hopefully I am repaying him with the games I am playing. He put me into the derby straightaway and that gave me a lot of confidence.

"Any player who has the belief of the manager always wants to go on and show what he can do. With the new boss coming in and the way we have been playing and with me getting some game time, it has been a good couple of months and this has topped it off for me. I knew at some point it would happen for me if I kept working hard in training and kept showing people what I could do. Thankfully it has come now."

Director of football Damien Comolli told the club's website: "He won his place in the team on merit and has showed in the last games that he can raise his game to what we need.

"To be fair to him, it's not only what he has done in the last four or five games that triggered the new contract. We have been talking for quite a while, independently of what he was doing on the field. But that was confirmation that it was the right thing to do.

"His commitment and aggression on the pitch is fantastic and since he has been playing I think he has added some passing quality which we didn't see before. He has started to get forward more and the more he plays the more he improves.

"We think he will be part of the future of the club which is why we rewarded him with a new contract. He was part of the team which won two Youth Cups and he was telling me when he signed his contract that he has been here since he was seven.

"It's great for the club to have people like him around and it shows others that if you do well at the Academy then you have a chance of getting new contracts."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.