Southampton Football Club is delighted to announce that youngster Jake Vokins has signed a professional contract at St Mary’s.

The converted left back put pen-to-paper earlier today on his 17th birthday to commit his future to the club for the next two-and-a-half years.

The former midfielder enjoyed a meteoric rise through the ranks last season when deputising for Saints’ Under-18s aged just 15, before making the step up into the club’s Under-21 side.

This season, Vokins has gone on to play regularly in the Saints' Under-23s this season, and made his debut for England’s Under-17s during February.

Vokins highlighted that the faith shown in him by the club from a young age was key in his decision to sign.

“I’m absolutely delighted,” he said. “It’s a dream come true and it’s something I’ve wanted to do since I started coming down here as a kid with my parents. I’ve been here for a very long time and to eventually sign a contract is an incredible feeling.

“Every day is enjoyable when you’re playing football because it’s a dream job, so I’m very happy.

“The opportunities are given to us here,” Vokins added. “I was playing in the U23s at a very young age and the coaches put their trust in you and help all the young players coming through every day.

“We’ve got a very talented group around us and we’re progressing every day and working on things every week.

“Training with the first team has been incredible and playing in the Under-23s regularly has also been a very big achievement.

“You’ve got the likes of Gareth Bale and Luke Shaw and you see them now playing for their countries, so it’s a big inspiration.”