Blues boss Paul Jewell has revealed that midfielder Luke Hyam has told him that he has agreed to sign a new Town contract taking him up to the summer of 2014.

On Monday, TWTD revealed that talks regarding the 20-year-old former Northgate High School pupil’s new terms were under way and appear to have swiftly reached a resolution.

Jewell said: “I just spoke to him and he’s agreed an extension to his contract, so I’m pleased with that. I think it’s an extra year.

“I had a long conversation with him this morning and I told him that I think he’s improved and there’s more improvement in him.”

The Blues boss says Hyam, who previously signed a one-year contract on wages understood to be just £650 a week in February, has the right approach to the game: “He’s got a great attitude, he found himself out of the picture last year, nowhere near the first team, and showed what hard work and determination can do.

“Arguably, he and Andy Drury turned last season around with the West Ham game. They were a major part of turning it around for us and we just wanted to reward him with an extra year’s contract, and hopefully we’ll extend that as we go on.

“He knows there are a lot of facets to his game that he needs to work on, he’s out of the team at the moment after injury, but he’s very close to it.”

A couple of recent reports have linked Leeds and Wolves with moves for the academy product but Jewell says that that’s news to him: “No, I certainly didn’t have any contact from them and we’re not looking to sell.”

The Blues manager says he’s not sure of progress on Lee Martin’s contract, talks between owner Marcus Evans and the player’s representative having started last month: “I left it with Marcus and his agent. I’m not quite sure what’s going on with that. We need to sort that out, we’d like Lee to stay.”

Photo: Action Images

NorseBlue added 10:35 - Sep 14 Really excellent news. Our own Claude Makélelé with some extra attacking bite this term. Like the others here, deal could have been a lot longer, but if the wage Hyam's been offered is still a lot less than Martin, Chops, Edwards, etc., it may be a case of 'improve again for this year and then we'll give you a BIG reward' - let's hope so.
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Wickets added 10:56 - Sep 14 Let's hope we 'av got this right for once seems a bit too short term for me! time will tell.
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daniel9624 added 10:56 - Sep 14 Perfect length of deal, if he develops as we hope we just extend next summer, if not he has another year and we extend then. No complaints tied down now and thats the main thing!
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Lightningboy added 11:38 - Sep 14 Should give him a decent 3 year deal.
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righty added 11:50 - Sep 14 What a load of cr-p from Jewell why are the other players not on performance pay rises if Jewell is going to use this on all players fair enough Thomas would get nothing or even owe us money
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Ryanblue4life added 12:24 - Sep 14 he says there that Hyam and Drury changed are season which they did so why does he not give them a chance this season. IMO drop Chopra and play taylor up there bring Carson back in he did nothing wrong and then we can see if Chops and Jet actually work for there place.
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planetblue_2011 added 12:25 - Sep 14 At last some kinda good news! Should of offered Hyam another 2 years at least, but never mind 2014 will do for now. Just hurry Jewell and get that centre back in. PLEASE!!
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reusersfreekicks added 12:39 - Sep 14 Too short - he always to get the minimum from the manager and the rest
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Blue041273 added 13:00 - Sep 14 Whichever way you look at this it is a compromise. This time next year we will be in exactly the same position as now. Luke is probably happy because if he wants to try elsewhere the club will be quite happy to pay up his contract and release him; the club will be happy now because at least he can't walk away quite yet? The sad thing is, is that this is not a statement of intent; we do not seem to have faith that Luke is truly a long term proposition, otherwise a longer term deal might have been better. The message is that there are better prospects out there. But, as has been shown with the search for CBs this philosophy is somewhat flawed.

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meekreech added 13:10 - Sep 14 Luke has shown a step up this season and deserves the extension ( with presumably more money ) and has acknowledged he has more to learn . We do not know what was said in the discussions over a new deal but it could be a case of keep the improvement going and we will look again at the end of the season to extend again . Keeping young players wanting to improve is better than saying you have made it too soon ! If they work they get rewards , that is how I was raised and work that way .

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Garv added 13:43 - Sep 14 You lot do realize its a year added to the year deal he signed in February. Just in case you didn't read the article, we've got him until 2014. Sounds good to me. Keep him keen. He clearly isn't in it for the money, just wants to play for his boyhood club. But we also have to be aware that he might not turn out to be the superstar everyone thinks he is.
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righty added 14:08 - Sep 14 No one says he is a super star just a lot better than the cr-p Jewell brought to the club.
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righty added 14:09 - Sep 14 And you all seem to forget he saved Jewells job last seasonand his repayment is to be dropped for a player who wanted to get away from PR Mr Leadbitter
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SouperJim added 14:20 - Sep 14 Garv, the point is in Feb he signed a deal until the end of this season. So come the end of the season we'll be back to square 1; Hyam entering the final year of his contract. By keeping him on such a short deal we run the risk that he can be easily poached or decide not to sign the next extension we offer. It's a stupid risk and it has nothing to do with keeping young players "hungry". If he's good enough, give him a contract which reflects that. If he's not, sell him or let him go. I don't see how these 1 year deals are an advantage to the club, we yet again seem to be underrating a good youngster without whom we may well have been relegated last season.

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Garv added 16:21 - Sep 14 'If he's good enough, give him a contract which reflects that. If he's not, sell him'. That's quite vague in my opinion and doesn't make much sense to me. We don't even know if he will be good enough yet. We thought Bowditch was the next big thing. Two years is about right in my opinion.
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TimmyH added 17:26 - Sep 14 Well deserved Luke and hopefully more than the poor sum you were on, got to encourage our youngsters that this can happen to them to with hard work - send out the right message!
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Bleedingblue added 17:37 - Sep 14 TimmyH - £650 a week = a poor sum?! I'd like your job mate! Agree he deserves to be rewarded though and reckon he's probably now on a grand a week. Not a bad wage in my opinion for a youngster and still has the incentive to improve. Also think he is loyal to Town so will sign another contract as and when offered.Therefore don't think it's too much of a risk on our behalf

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Talbs77 added 18:38 - Sep 14 I agree the wage should be kept to a reasonable amount to incentivise him however to only give the boy a year after the improvement in his game in the last year seems a tad miserly especially the amount of payoffs to Bulard etc who were on 3/4 year deals when he was in his 30's.
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TimmyH added 19:36 - Sep 14 Poor sum in relation to other players around him, great sum in relation to my job :)
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Talbs77 added 22:03 - Sep 14 I would bloody kill for that moey!! :)
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