Ruben Loftus-Cheek agrees new contract with Chelsea

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.

“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.

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.”