Nigerian teenage centreback Benjamin Fredrick signs four year deal with Brentford

ENGLISH Premier League side Brentford have confirmed offered 19-year-old Nigerian centreback Benjamin Fredrick a four year contract that will keep him at the Gtech Community Stadium until 2028 with the option to extend it for another year.

Fredrick joined Brentford in September last year on a season-long loan from Simoiben FC in Kaduna and was immediately sent to the B team. Impressing for Nigeria in last year's Fifa Under-20 World Cup in Argentina, Frederick formed a strong partnership in central defence alongside Abel Ogwuche, as the Flying Eagles reached the quarter-finals before losing 1-0 to South Korea.

After spending a season with Brentford, he has impressed the coaches enough to earn himself a contract and will now be hoping to break into the first team.  Fredrick has put pen to paper on a four-year deal that will last until June 30, 2028 on the back of his outstanding performances for Neil MacFarlane's B team.

This season, Frederick has trained with the Brentford first team on multiple occasions and was a non-playing substitute in Premier League matches against Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur. He was also an unused substitute in the two matches against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup.

Fredrick said: "Signing permanently for Brentford is a great moment for me and my family and I want to thank everyone who started this journey with me. Neil and the rest of the coaching team have been very patient and supportive throughout this season and they have helped me become a stronger more confident player in the process.

"I want to repay the club's trust in me by continuing to do my best and pushing to even greater heights." In addition to playing four games for the Flying Eagles at last year's Fifa U20 World Cup, Fredrick went the distance in the six games in the Africa U20 Cup of Nations, where he helped Ladan Bosso's team post four clean sheets.