Wilshere signs new Arsenal deal

Midfielder Jack Wilshere has signed a new long-term contract at Arsenal FC, with manager Arsène Wenger declaring "we're all excited by the fact Jack Wilshere will be an Arsenal player for years to come".

Details of the contract were not disclosed, but Arsenal have moved quickly to ensure the 18-year-old remains in north London after a terrific start to the season. Wilshere made his England debut on 11 August and has since established himself in the Arsenal first team, making eight Premier League and three UEFA Champions League appearances.

"Jack is a fantastic footballer with a huge amount of potential, and we have all seen with his performances that he is a very gifted player who could be an extremely influential player at the top level of the game," Wenger said.

Wilshere has been at the club since he was nine and became the youngest player to represent Arsenal in the league when making his debut against Blackburn Rovers FC on 13 September 2008. One of the English game's most highly regarded prospects, the Under-21 international benefited from a loan spell at Bolton Wanderers FC last term, before returning to Arsenal over the summer.

The teenager said: "Arsenal Football Club has been like a second home for me and my family since I was nine. To be offered a new contract means everything to me." Wilshere scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in the 5-1 rout of FC Shakhtar Donetsk on Matchday 3. Arsenal are away to the Ukrainian side on Wednesday looking to seal their place in the last 16 from Group H.