Goalkeeper Danny Ward has today signed a new deal with Liverpool FC, the club have announced.
Ward signs a five-year deal with the Reds, despite being yet to play in a competitive fixture for the first team.
Still, the 22-year-old featured on the bench 23 times for Liverpool last season, having being included in matchday squads just two times prior.
According the the rumour mill, however, Liverpool remain interested in bringing another goalkeeper to Anfield to challenge current number one Simon Mignolet, thus it seems unlikely that Ward will play a key role with the first team at the moment.
Nonethless, the release of Brad Jones earlier this summer sees him climb higher in the pecking order, despite the signature of Adam Bogdan, and this new deal shows that he is very much viewed as a player who can be important for the Reds in the future.
Ward set to become third -choice behind Adam Bogdan
Ward started his career with Wrexham, where he was born, joining their academy in 2007, but he failed to make an appearance for the club in his five years there. As a teenager, he was included in matchday squads on a number of occasions, but was always the substitute goalkeeper.
A spell on loan at Tamworth in 2011 saw him make his senior debut for any team at the age of 18, and just a year later Liverpool would snap up the goalkeeper for a fee of £100,000. He signed a three-year deal and was involved with the reserve team heavily upon arrival.
He earned his first call-up to the Reds' senior team in 2012 when they played Swansea City in the League Cup, but was an unused substitute.
In March earlier this year, Ward spent a month on loan with Morecambe in League Two, making five appearances. He has also been capped at under 17, 19 and 21 level for Wales, and was even part of the senior squad in late 2013, though, again, not as the first choice 'keeper.