Winger Matt Phillips has signed a new contract with West Bromwich Albion, the Championship side have announced.

Phillips joined West Brom from QPR in the summer of 2016, and has gone onto make 101 appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring 14 goals.

The 28-year-old's contract with the club had been set to expire at the end of the current season, but Phillips' new deal with the Baggies is set to keep him at The Hawthorns until the summer of 2022.

It had been reported earlier in the summer that Premier League trio Aston Villa, Brighton and Sheffield United had all been interested in signing the winger.

Speaking following confirmation of Phillips' new deal, Baggies manager Slaven Bilic spoke of his delight at tying the winger to the club, with the club's official website quoting the Croatian as saying: “It is great news.

“He has signed this season and another two years which is of course great news.

Discussing the boost that keeping Phillips gives his side, Bilic added: “We didn’t have to convince him and it is always good to keep those major players in the Club.

“He very rarely is missing the sessions. He is a great pro, he looks after himself and stays after training. He is a great professional and a great asset on the pitch, he can change a game.

“He has those great moments and he has shown that already this season. He is a Premier League player. It’s all positive.”

West Brom currently sit eighth in the early Championship standings, having won two and drawn three of their opening five league games of the season, and are next in action when they host Blackburn Rovers at The Hawthorns on Saturday.

The Verdict

I think this is a really good piece of business from West Brom.

He may not be a player who often gets the headlines, but Phillips has shown over the years with his continually reliable and solid performances just how important he is to this club right now.

Securing his future for the next three years therefore feels like a big boost to the Baggies, not least when you take into consideration some of the other attacking outlets that they have lost over the course of the summer.

Given the apparent Premier League interest there was in Phillips over the course of the summer, this also feels like something of a statement of intent from West Brom with regards to their own ambitions to return to the top flight sooner rather than later.