'Surreal' - Blackpool midfielder eyes the Premier League as he extends Bloomfield Road stay
New deal for Blackpool midfielder.
Blackpool have announced that Theo Upton has signed a contract extension with the club. The deal keeps him at Bloomfield Road until the end of the 2026/27 season.
Upton made his debut for the first-team earlier this season against Crewe Alexandra in the EFL Trophy and was given his first start in the goalless draw with Liverpool's under-21s. He is a first-year scholar and has been described as a mainstay of Matthew Blinkhorn's Under-18 team.
Along with his handful of appearances in the cup, the 17-year-old has brushed shoulders with senior players and has trained with them on numerous occasions. News of Upton is a boost as he is born-and-bred in Blackpool and has been a season ticket holder since he was born. The midfielder has been at the club since he was eight-years-old and has moved his way through the ranks before signing a scholar deal last summer.
Theo Upton reacts new Blackpool deal
The academy graduate has lofty ambitions and despite only being a child when they were there, he wants to take the club back to the Premier League. Blackpool find themselves in mid-table in League One at the minute but there is a belief among the players that they can mount an end of season push for a play-off spot given their current unbeaten run of 10 matches.
"It’s quite a surreal feeling,” he said to the official club website.
“It’s been a special journey with lots of ups and downs but I’m looking forward to the challenge ahead.
“This Club means everything to me. Blackpool has been in the Premier League before and that is something I want to experience with this Club.”
Contract situation at Blackpool
Nine first-team players are out of contract at the end of the season. Sonny Carey was described as a 'valuable' member of the first-team squad by Bruce in recent weeks and told the player that he would like him to stay.
Jordan Gabriel meanwhile is a player whose future is up in the air. Clubs in League One have been linked with a move for him but it all depends what league Blackpool find themselves in. Another influential player Matthew Pennington also sees his deal expire but has been a consistent figure in the team.
Josh Onomah was on trial at Blackpool before Bruce arrived but it was he who decided to sign him on a short-term basis until January before extending his contract. Onomah's been dealing with some fitness problems recently, so he will have to prove his fitness to earn a longer-term contract at the club.
Blackpool have a 12-month option on Jake Beesley, but he's not been able to get a consistent run in the side this season. Goalkeeper Richard O'Donnell has mainly been a back-up choice, whilst Mackenzie Chapman hasn't had much of a look in.
Ollie Norburn is likely to depart after joining Wigan Athletic on loan in January. He had a shortage of game time during Bruce's reign. Experienced striker Jordan Rhodes is another who is likely to depart after heading to Mansfield Town on deadline day.
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