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Irish Under-21 defender John Egan has signed a new contract with Sunderland, which will see him extend his stay on Wearside for a further year.
After a recent cull of youngsters at the club including contemporaries such as Ryan Noble and Adam Reed being told they can leave at the end of the season.
Egan has had significantly better first team experience whilst out on loan at the likes of Crystal Palace, Sheffield United and most recently Bradford City where an injury ended his season.
Egan has, along with Louis Laing, been tipped for big things by the club and seems to be closer to the first team than Laing is due to his impressive size and strength.
The Irishman also offers plenty of versatility and has played at right-back on several occasions for his country's youth team.
As we expect many defenders to leave the club this summer, it's encouraging to see one of the brighter lights being informed they're to be kept around for the foreseeable future at least.