Hiram Boateng extends Crystal Palace contract

Crystal Palace Ghanaian midfielder Hiram Boateng has signed a new contract with the club until the summer of 2017.

The 19-year-old has agreed an extension to his current deal, continuing his long association with the club having been a part of the Palace academy since the age of eight.

Boateng made his first-team bow in an FA Cup third-round replay at Stoke City in January 2013 before appearing at the same stage of the competition, a year later, against West Bromwich Albion.

The Londoner has also had a loan spell at Crawley Town towards the end of the 2013/14 season.

Boateng said: “We’ve been talking about things since December and it got sorted out last week.

“I spoke to (Alan Pardew) quite a bit, I’ve had a few sessions with the first team and he came to watch some of our development games at Tooting and Mitcham.

“He said he liked what he saw and he wants me to kick on and get some more aspects to my game.

“It’s great being in and around the first team and it’s good watching that level of players and seeing how they cope in a Premier League game. It’s what I want to be doing soon.”