Ipswich Town youngster Charlie Compton signs first professional deal with Premier League club

Charlie Compton has signed his first professional contract with Ipswich Town.

The talented midfielder, who started his footballing journey within the youth set-up at Exning United, has put pen to paper on a three-year deal with the Premier League club.

The 17-year-old’s father Ed said: “It’s not something we expected at all and it was definitely a recent development.

“We’re all extremely proud of Charlie for what he’s achieved. It’s the result of a lot of hard work, much of which people don’t see. People will see the end result of him holding up the shirt but there’s been a lot of work and knock-backs to get to this point.

“But it also doesn’t stop. We had a little celebration as a family last night but Charlie was the first to say that the hard work now starts all over again.”

The former Bottisham Village College pupil has been a regular for Ipswich’s Under-18 and Under-21 sides this season – and earlier this campaign he featured as part of The Guardian’s prestigious Next Generation Series.