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Sam Stanton has signed a new deal, which sees him commit to Hibs for four years after agreeing to extend his contract until the summer of 2018.

The 19-year-old midfielder who graduated from the club’s Academy joined the youth set-up when he was 12 and this season he has emerged as a first team regular as well as gaining international recognition with Scotland under-21s.

Now the lifelong Hibs’ supporter says he is looking forward to continuing his development at Easter Road.

He told Hibernian TV: “I’m very excited about the future here at Hibs and I’m delighted to have agreed an extension to my contract.

“It was a really easy decision for me to make; I’ve always wanted to play for Hibs and everything that has happened so far has been like a dream come true for me.

“There is a lot to look forward to and I’m pleased to be on board for the next four years; to get that recognition from the club was a great feeling.

“Right now though, we’ve got to make sure we finish this season positively.

“We’ve got five games left and if we stick to our task then the wins will come and hopefully that’s exactly what will happen.”

Manager Terry Butcher says he is aiming to make Stanton a key part of his long-term plans at Hibernian and is delighted with the teenager’s progress so far.

Butcher said: “Sam’s new deal is great news for everybody connected to Hibernian Football Club; he is a talented young player with an incredibly bright future.

“When I first arrived here Sam wasn’t part of the first team squad, but now he is probably one of the first names on the team sheet – that underlines the progress he has made in a short space of time.

“He is eager to learn and continue to develop into becoming a better player and that augurs well for Hibernian in the future.”

Photo by John Preece

http://www.photoboxgallery.com/jlp-photography

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John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.