STOKE CITY have today rewarded exciting Academy prospect Louis Moult with his first professional contract at the Britannia Stadium after a season of excellent progress in the Club's youth set-up and reserve team.
The 17-year-old striker, who became City's youngest player to appear in the Premier League at Burnley last week, has signed a two-year agreement which sees him make the transition from Academy scholar to professional.
A local lad born in Penkhull, Moult has been a regular on the scoresheet in the Under-18 and reserve sides this season and made his first team debut as a substitute in the Carling Cup second round tie at Leyton Orient back in August.
The teenager also made a brief appearance in another Carling Cup tie at Portsmouth before he was handed his first taste of Premier League action in the closing stages of the 1-1 draw with Burnley at Turf Moor last Wednesday.
In congratulating Moult on his promotion to the professional ranks, City manager Tony Pulis hopes this will be a significant development as the Club look to the Academy to boost their hopes of sustained success in the future.
"Louis has made fantastic progress this season and he thoroughly deserves this chance to become a professional," commented Pulis.
"But I am also delighted for Adrian Pennock and the rest of the Academy set-up for their work in bringing him through the ranks.
"This is an area of the Club which we are looking to improve because it will make a big difference to our hopes of achieving sustained success at this level if we can produce more of our own players who go on to make the first team."
Chief Executive Tony Scholes added: "I would like to congratulate Louis on being handed his first professional contract here at Stoke City. He is a fantastic lad with a superb attitude and this is just reward for all of the hard work he has put in since joining our Academy at a very young age.
"The fact that he was born just one mile away from the stadium, and has progressed all the way through the ranks here at the Club is also very pleasing and I am sure the supporters will take Louis in as one of their own.
"This should be an inspiration to others at a time when we are also developing excellent facilities for the Academy to use at Clayton Wood, so I am hoping that he will be joined by others in our first team squad in the future."
