Ruben Loftus-Cheek has agreed a contract extension with Chelsea that will keep him at Stamford Bridge until at least 2024, the Premier League club have announced.
The 23-year-old, who is currently recovering from an Achilles injury, made an impression in the first team during the final few months of Maurizio Sarri’s reign.
Loftus-Cheek told Chelsea’s official website: “I’m really happy and pleased that I get to stay here for another five years.
So proud to sign a new long-term contract! I’ve been at this club since the age of 7 and it has always been my dream to play here. @ChelseaFC is my home and I can’t wait to get back out on the pitch. See you all soon. ???✨ pic.twitter.com/6D5iDRDVIP
— Ruben Loftus-Cheek (@rubey_lcheek) July 6, 2019
“It’s the place where I’ve grown up playing and hopefully I’ll be playing here for a lot longer.”
Loftus-Cheek first joined the club as an under-eight and progressed through the youth ranks to the first team, for whom he has made 72 appearances. View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Ruben loftus-cheek (@rubey_lcheek) on Jul 6, 2019 at 6:44am PDT
An important loan spell at Crystal Palace gave the midfielder valuable top-level experience and coincided with his first full England call-up against Germany in November 2017.
He added: “At eight or nine years old, of course you never think you’ll be here for so long because you just want to enjoy yourself and play with your friends.
“When I look back and see how the hard work has paid off, it’s a good feeling. That only makes me want to work harder to achieve more in the future.
“I hope to win a lot more trophies with the team and personally it’s just about trying to do as well as I can and work hard to be a key player for Chelsea.”
The signing of Loftus-Cheek represents another significant move from new boss Frank Lampard, who has also allowed striker Alvaro Morata to leave the club on a permanent basis.
Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said: “We see Ruben as an important part of the squad for many years to come and we are very pleased he also considers his future to be with Chelsea.”