Nine young players have signed new paperwork on professional contracts which will see them continue their journey with the club in 2023-24.
The Under-21s began their pre-season campaign little more than a week ago, but six youngsters who completed their scholarship with the club last season have now committed their immediate futures to the club by putting pen to paper on their first professional contracts.
Meanwhile, John Clarke formally accepted the offer of a new deal, Hamid Abdel-Salam has signed a new contract rather than triggering an extension on his existing deal and Matt Carson has put his signature across paperwork which now permits him to play a part for the first team rather than terms restricting him to Under-21s football.
John Clarke
Left-back John Clarke joined the club from Port Vale last summer, signing paperwork on a one-year professional deal with the Royals in June - and he has now committed to a new contract in RG2.
Clarke came off the substitutes bench to make three league appearances last season, coming off the pitch with three points on every occasion; he featured in home wins over Cardiff City, Blackburn Rovers and Middlesbrough before injury cutailed his campaign.
The defender also made his full debut for the Royals when he started in our Carabao Cup defeat to Stevenage last August - and the 19-year-old has now inked a new contract at the club.
Matt Carson
In February, another talented left-back Matthew Carson joined our Under-21s ranks when the 20-year-old signed a short-term contract following a successful trial period with the club.
Carson, who came through the youth ranks with Burnley, linked up with Noel Hunt’s side and impressed last season - scoring a brilliant goal against Arsenal to take a Premier League Cup clash to extra-time on the Gunners' home turf.
Hamid Abdel Salam
Versatile 19-year-old Hamid Abdel Salam was due to trigger a clause in the contract he signed last summer but a new deal was put on the table for the promising defender - who can also play in midfield - and he has now scrawled his name on the dotted line to commit his immediate future to the club.
Six scholars sign professional terms
18-year-old goalkeeper Tom Norcott signed his first pro deal at the club, having risen through the ranks as a Royal in the Academy. He started between the sticks in our FA Youth Cup clash with Everton last season and now joins the strong goalkeeping union in RG2.
Forward Caylan Vickers, prolific at Under-18 level for the Royals, yesterday joined Clarke and Abdel Salam as part of the first team group who headed out to Spain for a pre-season week in Alicante - and the 18-year-old Academy graduate signed his professional terms before he boarded the flight.
Midfielder Harvey Maudner also put pen to paper on his first professional deal, just a week after turning 19 last month. He featured more towards the back end of last season, having recovered from a long-term injury.
And attacking midfielder Jeremiah Okine-Peters has also completed paperwork on his first contract, having featured a number of times for our Under-23s last season.
Malta and Uganda youth international striker Basil Tuma made his first team bow last August when he started alongside fellow debutants Dean Bouzanis and Michael Craig in our loss to Stevenage in the Carabao Cup and he has signed a professional contract at the club.
And the triple-barrelled Jacob Hammond-Chambers-Borgnis completes the list of new pros, the midfielder signing terms with the club to commit his future to the Royals.
