Newcastle's Chris Harris has signed a new deal with the club © PA Photos

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Academy graduate Chris Harris has become the third player this week to sign a new contract with Newcastle Falcons.

Harris put pen-to-paper with a two-year deal that keeps him at the club until at least the end of the 2016-17 season. 24-year-old centre Harris has enjoyed a breakout season and scored three tries in two games against Northampton and Saracens. He follows Ally Hogg and Will Witty in penning new deals this week.

"It's great news that Chris has chosen to commit to the club for another two years," said director of rugby Dean Richards. "Chris is a talented young man and exactly the type of player we are looking to keep hold of as we continue to build for the future of Newcastle Falcons.

"We've said for a long time that there are a number of promising players coming through the ranks of our Academy system and it's great to see those boys not only making a mark on the top flight but choosing to continue to do so with Newcastle Falcons."

"I'm really pleased to be confirmed as a Falcon for the next two seasons," said Harris. "It doesn't mean I can relax because, if I want to be in the team, there are some pretty high quality players so I have to play and train well to get the shirt, but it does take a bit of pressure off knowing the future is sorted and I'm happy about it.

"It's great to have the chance to learn from so many good players, some of which I watched growing up, so now I just want to keep learning from them and getting better so that hopefully I can become a player that others look to emulate.

"It's a massively close-knit squad and I genuinely think that the way we're doing things now we're getting back to the sort of environment where it's one big group pulling in one direction."