Burnley have rewarded Josh Benson with a new contract after the midfielder forced his way into Sean Dyche’s side this season.
Benson, 21, spent much of last season on loan at Grimsby, but has made five appearances for the Clarets this term.
He made his debut as a substitute in the League Cup win over Sheffield United on September 17 with his first Premier League appearance coming in the 5-0 reverse to Manchester City last month.
His new deal runs until 2023 with the option of a further 12 months
“I feel like it’s the start of my career and I need to build on this,” Benson said.
“I’m really happy here. I’ve worked hard for this and now I just want to crack on and focus on my football.
“It’s been a great few weeks. I’ve been getting more confident, playing the games, and now the club has shown faith in me I feel even more confident and hopefully I can push on and deliver on the pitch.”
After a summer in which the expiry of a number of first-team contracts caused major headaches for Dyche during the pandemic-affected schedule, Benson follows Jay Rodriguez, Matej Vydra, Ben Mee and Ashley Westwood in agreeing new terms since the end of last season.
Benson joined Burnley in 2018 after being released by Arsenal, and said he felt the move away from his comfort zone close to home had helped his development.
“It’s been a big transition moving up north and I’ve enjoyed it here,” he added.
“It’s a great club and I feel like I’ve matured a lot, developed as a player here, and realised it’s a different life from being a boy to a man, moving away from home.
“Being at a Premier League club has been a dream of mine and now I’m training regularly, being on the bench and starting to get some minutes with the first team, it’s becoming a reality.
“I just want to be the best player I can be and play as many games as possible.
“This is just the start and I want to build on it and hopefully earn more contracts in the future.”
