Thursday 1 November 2018 11:31, UK
Newcastle captain Jamaal Lascelles has committed his future to the club by signing a new six-year contract at St James' Park.
Lascelles, who joined Newcastle from Nottingham Forest in 2014, signed a contract extension with the club last year.
But his performances at the heart of Newcastle's defence have seen him rewarded with another new contract, with manager Rafael Benitez describing Lascelles as "the future of the club".
"I'm really pleased to see Jamaal sign a contract extension," Benitez told the club's official website.
"He's the future of the club and someone who really cares. The fans are looking for players who care about the team and the club, and he is one of these players.
"He's still a young player, still a young captain and still a young centre-back, so we're talking about a player who has a great future, because normally you consider the peak of a centre-back could be between 28 years old and 30 years old, so still he has plenty of room for improvement.
"He's keen to learn and he's working hard, trying to be a better player every day, so it is good news for the club."
Lascelles added: "I'm over the moon - it's great news to be tied down to Newcastle for a long time. It's pretty much all I ever wanted: playing in the Premier League in front of amazing fans.
"I think now as players, we just need to give the fans what they deserve. We need to put in the performances and make it even more special.
"Since I've been here, everything's been really positive and now I need to get my head down and get this team higher up the league."
