WEST HAM youngster Matt Fry has signed a two-year contract extension with the club.

The defender, who spent much of last season on loan at League One outfit Gillingham, is now looking forward to making his debut for the Hammers.

“It is obviously good for me to be offered a new contract of any length, but to get two years shows that the club has faith in me and it is going to spur me on to work even harder and go even further,” Fry told the club’s official website.

“I am self-confident and without that I don’t think I’d get very far as a professional footballer. I believe I have the qualities to become a first-team player at West Ham United. I am not saying that I’ll be ready for the Premier League on the first day of next season, but if I am ready in a year or 18 months time, then I’ll be pleased with my progress.

“I am still young for a centre-back and have a lot of developing still to do, both physically and in terms of improving my concentration on the pitch. In the Premier League, if you let your guard down for just a second or two, it can cost your team a goal.”