Wanderers have rewarded two of their top young players with new contracts to extend their stay with the Whites.
Defender Sam Inwood (top left) has signed a deal running until June, 2028, while midfielder Sonny Sharples-Ahmed has signed up until June, 2027. Both contracts also include further 12-month options.
The pair, who graduated from Wanderers’ Youth Team and B Team squads, signed their first professional deals with the Whites in 2023.
They have since become part of the first-team set-up and featured in League One under head coach Steven Schumacher last season to secure contract extensions.
Schumacher said: “Congratulations to both on well deserved new deals. Sam and Sonny have continued to progress really well in the time I’ve been here and had the chance to watch and work closely with them.
“They have earned their opportunities when they have played and they now have to keep working hard and doing everything right on and off the pitch to continue improving and, hopefully, get further game-time at first-team level in the future.
“Both play in competitive areas within our squad, but this commitment shows we have great belief in the pair to develop further with us.
“It’s also vital for us as a club to show that we have a proven pathway in place for young players to have the chance to progress from the Academy to first-team level if they are good enough and get the right opportunities along the way.”
Inwood, a left-sided central defender currently on international duty with Northern Ireland’s U21s, started back-to-back League One games for Wanderers in the final month of last season after two earlier appearances in the EFL Trophy.
The 19-year-old, who also started the Whites’ Carabao Cup tie against Sheffield Wednesday last month, said: “I’m delighted. I’ve taken it step-by-step as I’ve come up from the U15s and now I just want to progress even more.
“The two games at the end of last year came at a perfect time for me and you can see with what the Gaffer did for me - and with what he’s doing with other players this year - that if you’re good enough he will play you, so it’s even more motivation for me to work hard.
“The more you’re around it, the more you learn. We’ve got four great centre-halves here as well and every training session and every game that you’re watching you pick something up. I just want to keep working hard and hopefully more opportunities will follow.”
Central midfield player Sharples-Ahmed was named Wanderers’ B Team Player of the Year last season and after a handful of substitute’s appearances – as well as a start in the EFL Trophy in November, 2024 – made a full League One debut for the Whites at Lincoln City on Easter Monday.
The 20-year-old – who has gained international recognition with Egypt – said: “I’ve been at the club for a long time now and I think it’s the right decision for me. To know that the club wants me for the next couple of years means a lot to me and I just want to keep going.
“I’d like to also thank the staff from the B Team and the Under-18s - and those further down the Academy from my earlier years - as without them it would have been a lot harder.
“When you get a sniff of it then you want more of it so playing at Stockport, then getting my full chance against Fleetwood (in the Trophy) and a debut in the League is the best feeling and getting those opportunities is what I’ve got to keep working for moving forward.”
**Watch interviews with Sam and Sonny chatting about their new deals on Wanderers TV**