Aberdeen youngster Ryan Duncan has signed a two-year contract extension.
The 17-year-old winger, who is on loan at Peterhead until January, will remain at Pittodrie until at least 2024.
The Scotland under-17 international has scored 10 goals for Barry Robson’s young Dons side in the Scotland U18 League this season.
Duncan made his first team debut for the Dons in a 4-0 defeat against Rangers at Ibrox in November 2020.
Duncan said: “I am now contracted to the club until the summer of 2024 and that will take me to the age of 20.
“I now have two, three years to try and push myself into the team and try to become a regular.
“It gives me a lot of security and I can just focus on my football now.
“The pathway is really good at the club. There is a strong history of taking boys from the youth academy and putting them into the first team. It does make me believe that if I work hard enough then I will get a chance as well.
“It is the perfect place for me to develop my game and hopefully I can make it through to the first team as soon as possible.”
Robson, Aberdeen’s development phase manager, believes Duncan has a promising future at Pittodrie.
Delighted to extend my stay at Aberdeen❤️ https://t.co/vZBcuG0oWO
— Ryan Duncan (@Ryan_duncan10) December 1, 2021
He said: “Ryan is someone we think very highly of and who we think has the ability to progress into the first team.
“He is a player who needs to be at his optimum, his fittest, his sharpest to be at his best but the model we are following at the moment for his pathway is working very well.
“He’s missed the last six weeks due to injury so it’s going to take a bit of time to get him back up to speed but he’s back training again, and I’m sure he’ll kick on now at Peterhead.
“It’s a good level for him to go to play at, it’s a competitive league and I’ve no doubt he will do well there.
“He’s definitely a player we hold in high regard.”
Aberdeen director of football Steven Gunn said: “We’re delighted that Ryan has committed his future to the club.
“He’s a player that’s excelled at U18s level this season and shows the right attitude to working at his craft.
“He’s another local lad who has a very bright future ahead of him, and we’re looking forward to helping him achieve his football ambitions over the coming years.”