Jonjoe Kenny has become the latest Everton youngster to sign a new contract at the club after signing a new three-year deal at Goodison Park.
The defender, who is now contracted to the Blues until the end of the 2018/19 campaign, joined the club at the age of nine before making his Premier League debut as a substitute against Norwich City in May.
He follows fellow academy graduates Tom Davies, Kieran Dowell, Callum Connolly and Conor Grant who have all been rewarded with new contracts at Goodison Park in recent months.
From under-10s to first-team
Kenny was born just a short walk away from Goodison Park and joined Everton's Academy at age nine, progressing through the youth setup to captain the club's under-21 side during the 2014/15 season at the age of 17. He signed his first professional contract in July 2014 and enjoyed loan spells at both Wigan Athletic and Oxford United last season in order to gain first-team experience.
The right-back became a regular at Wigan during his two-month loan spell at the beginning of their promotion-winning campaign, before impressing once again as he helped Oxford United win promotion to League One during his 17 league appearances in the second half of last season.
Kenny returned to Everton for the final game of the season where he replaced the injured Matthew Pennington during the first-half to make his Premier League debut. The youngster impressed in the game and provided the assist for the Blues' third goal of the game.
The 19-year-old's versatility and composure on the ball has seen him deployed at right-back, centre-back and in central midfield during his youth career and many Everton supporters believe it will not be long before Kenny is appearing regularly in the Everton first-team.
Signing a new contract means "the world to me"
Having been born just a short walk away from Goodison Park, there is no denying Kenny's passion or "love" for the club and he told Everton's official website that signing a new contract "means the world to me". Speaking about his Premier League debut in May, he said that playing for the first-team was "a dream come true" and he is hoping to feature more for the Blues over the coming months and seasons.
Kenny has been keen to impress new manager Ronald Koeman since he replaced Roberto Martinez earlier this summer. Koeman is known for bringing through young players and he showed while at Southampton that he is not afraid to field youngsters, with Matt Targett, Jake Hesketh, Harrison Reed and Lloyd Isgrove all given first-team experience.
The teenager has already trained with the first-team and he said that when he is given the opportunity by Koeman to train with senior squad he knows he has got "to do well" as these are the opportunities when "you have got to show how good you are." Kenny has certainly impressed Under-23 manager David Unsworth as the former Everton player handed Kenny his senior Everton debut in May following Roberto Martinez's departure.
Unsworth praised Kenny's "desire" to play for the club and described him as a "proper Everton footballer", who plays with "enormous enthusiasm", has "great qualities in numerous positions" and an "absolute pleasure to coach and have around the place."