Bilic ready to reward rookie with new deal

ALBION are set to open talks with Nathan Ferguson in a bid to tie the talented teenager down to a lengthy new contract.

The 18-year-old defender has thrived since Slaven Bilic joined the club in June.

Ferguson was one of Albion’s standout players in pre-season and has started three Championship matches at right-back ahead of the more experienced Darnell Furlong, a £2 million summer signing from QPR. Ferguson signed his first professional contract in December 2017, shortly after former head coach

Alan Pardew named him on the bench for the first time at senior level for a game at Liverpool.

That deal runs out next summer. It’s thought Bilic and the recruitment staff are keen to reward the youngster for his progress this season with a new deal that should also ward off any potential suitors.

The Baggies are particularly eager to pin down Ferguson having seen other leading lights from the academy, in Morgan Rogers and Louie Barry, complete moves this summer to Manchester City and Barcelona respectively.

Bilic is a huge admirer of Ferguson, whom he has converted from a centre-back to an all-action full-back, although the Croatian was reluctant to flatter him too strongly after a man-of-thematch performance on debut in the win at Nottingham Forest.

“It’s not going to help him

(praising him too much),” Bilic had said. “I’ve seen it so many times, but I don’t doubt him. He is focused, he is listening. He ain’t going to get carried away, but we have to open our eyes like crazy to keep him on the ground.”

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