Leeds United have beaten off competition from Manchester City to tie Jack Clarke to his first professional contract, according to a BBC journalist.
The Championship giants reported on their official website that the teenage striker had marked his 17th birthday by penning a four-year deal that runs until 2021.
BBC correspondent Adam Pope subsequently reported on his personal Twitter account that Leeds have fended off interest from Premier League giants City to secure the deal for Clarke.
???? Striker signs 1st professional deal
???????????? Happy 17th birthday to Leeds United’s Jack Clarke who has signed a senior deal with #lufc until 2021
??? The club fought off competition from Premier League clubs including Manchester City to keep the Academy forward pic.twitter.com/qK3Ppjc7LJ
— Adam Pope (@APOPEY) November 23, 2017
?? | Leeds United are delighted to announce that @JackClarke09 has signed his first professional contract with the club
Read more ?? https://t.co/G1Yp92cftT pic.twitter.com/HL2oNVm2SK
— Leeds United (@LUFC) November 23, 2017
Clarke has made impressive progress through the ranks of the Championship giants after joining as a schoolboy.
He has been a prolific goalscorer for the club’s Under-16s and 18s side for the last couple of seasons and has been in outstanding form in 2017-18, with nine goals in just seven starts for the Under-18s.
OPINION
If there was already not enough of a buzz around rising star Clarke, it has been cranked up a few notches by the BBC revelation that moneybags Man City were trying to sign him before Leeds tied the young goal machine to his first pro deal. Perhaps the offer of a four-year deal swung it for Leeds, as well as the promise that he will be fast-tracked into their senior side? City can certainly blow Leeds out of the water in terms of finances, but the player appears to have put his development and the inducement of senior game time ahead of his bank account. A smart career move by the forward, who appears destined for the top.