The morning of January 9, 2013 has seen Liverpool lock up another rising star from their youth ranks for the foreseeable future. According to The Independent 19-year-old fullback, Andre Wisdom has signed a new long-term deal with the club to keep him on Merseyside as he is developing into one of the club brightest defensive talents.
He made his debut for the first team earlier in the season against BSC Young Boys in the UEFA Europa League and has never looked back. The last few weeks he has had a more regular role with the first team due to an injury to Jose Enrique that looks to see the Spanish defender out through most of February.
Speaking to the press following his new contract Wisdom was optimistic and excited for the future:
It was an easy decision to make - as soon as they offered it to me, I grabbed the opportunity with both hands because it's a great club and I just want to continue to play for Liverpool.
I am happy with the progress I've made so far and hopefully I can progress more in the second half of the season and continue to keep playing.
There's still so much hard work ahead. There is big competition within the team and everyone wants to play football.
I just hope I can keep progressing and continue in the way I have been.
Speaking to Liverpoolfc.tv club managing director Ian Ayre was also delighted to have signed up Wisdom after already completing deals for teenage talents Raheem Sterling and Suso earlier before the January transfer period:
It's another great example of a player committing to the club and what we're trying to achieve under Brendan.
He's a great young player, shown a fantastic improvement, broken into the first team and made a huge contribution and, rightly so, we've provided him with a new contract and a long-term one.
Getting talent like him, Raheem and others to commit at this point is absolutely essential to the future.
The manager, the owners and everyone have said the key is to build something for the long term and young players are a catalyst to that. None more so than Andre.
He's come on leaps and bounds in the last year or so and that's because of all the hard work he's put in and the manager giving him a chance, so it's absolutely essential players like that commit themselves to the club.
With the Reds getting set to face Manchester United this weekend it will be interesting to see if young Wisdom gets the call at right back or if Martin Kelly will return to the first team as Glen Johnson is certain to be deputizing at leftback to cover for Enrique.
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