Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Alex Hunt has extended his stay at Hillsborough and penned a new two-year deal with the club.

The 19-year-old has been at the club since the age of seven and is now under contract with the Owls until 2021.

Hunt signed his first professional contract with the club as a 17-year-old in February 2018, while he was the captain of the under-18s, and it appears he has impressed in the 17 months since.

The central midfielder made his senior debut for Wednesday last season, starting against Sunderland in the first round of the Carabao Cup.

He has not made an appearance for the senior side since but is the current captain of the under-23s.

Speaking to the club website, Hunt expressed his happiness at signing a new deal.

He said: “I’m delighted, it’s my boyhood club.

“My dad was buzzing, it was his birthday when I got offered the new contract. It’s a massive thing for me, my younger brother and my family who are all Wednesdayites.

“To sign my first professional contract was good but to get a new contract this early is a confidence boost for me to kick on.

“I came here at seven and signed my first professional deal when I was 17, it’s about getting near that first team now or going out on loan to develop my career.”

Hunt added that he was eyeing up a place in the first-team squad.

He said: “I think I’ve progressed well since my first-team debut which was a big moment for me.

“There’s a lot of distractions in football but you have to really get your head down and focus if you want to be in this game.

“I want to get around the first team. We’ve got a new manager which is a good chance to impress, I’ve not trained with him yet, but I really look forward to it if I do.”

The Verdict

Captaining the under-23s at just 19 years old is an impressive feat and clearly the Owls are impressed with the teenager, given his contract extension.

Hunt made his debut early last season and will surely be disappointed not to have had another chance since.

He will likely be hoping that the arrival of Monk will give him the chance for some more first-team minutes.

However, he faces some hot competition in the centre of the park at Wednesday, with the likes of Massimo Luongo, Sam Hutchinson, Kieran Lee and Barry Bannan in the squad.