Newcastle defender Paul Dummett has signed a new long-term contract which could keep him at the club until the summer of 2022, the club has announced.
The 26-year-old left-back, who joined the club at the age of nine, has been a fixture in Rafael Benitez’s side since returning to action in December from a hamstring injury suffered during the opening game of the current season.
Benitez said: “If you talk about players that are important for the team, normally people talk about goalscorers, midfielders and number 10s, but in modern football, there are not too many consistent left-sided full-backs.
“Paul is exactly that. He understands the game and you know what you can expect from him week in, week out. That’s important when you have a lot of big games. He’s a player you can trust.”
Dummett has made more than 100 appearances for the club he has supported since being handed his senior debut in a 2-0 FA Cup defeat at Brighton in January 2013 following loan spells at Gateshead and St Mirren.
The Academy graduate played a key role on helping the Magpies win promotion back to the Premier League last season and played the full 90 minutes in Sunday’s famous 1-0 victory over Manchester United.
Dummett told NUFC TV: “It’s my boyhood club and I’ve been a supporter for many years, so to extend my stay at the club for even longer is really important to me.
“I’ve always wanted to stay here and the manager and the club have wanted to keep me, so I’m really pleased to have signed the new contract and hopefully there are many more years to come.”
Dummett, was qualifies through his grandfather, has represented Wales at international level, but is yet to make a competitive appearance and has made himself unavailable in recent months.
