The Scottish teenager celebrated his 18th birthday by agreeing a new deal at Leeds United.
Scotland youth international Sam Chambers has agreed a new long-term deal at EFL Championship giants Leeds United just weeks after being compared to one of the English Premier League’s best players on his full debut for the club.
Tipped to have a big future in the game, the youngster put pen to paper on a contract that will keep him at the club until the summer of 2028 after impressing fans at Elland Road following his the transition to the Leeds first team in recent months.
The versatile midfielder has been in the Whites’ youth system for more than a decade, and formed part of the Leeds team that reached last year's FA Youth Cup final, only to lose at Manchester City. He was one of six highly-rated youngsters to join the club’s pre-season training camp in Germany last summer.
After making a positive impression on head coach Daniel Farke during the camp, Chambers been gradually introduced into the first team, being handed his league debut as a late substitute in a 3-0 win over Plymouth Argyle in November. He was also named among the substitutes for the wins over Queen’s Park Rangers and Oxford United the following month.
Sam Chambers of Leeds United challenges Joe Bryan of Millwall.Sam Chambers of Leeds United challenges Joe Bryan of Millwall.
Sam Chambers of Leeds United challenges Joe Bryan of Millwall. | Getty Images
Handed his first start by in the FA Cup fourth defeat to Millwall last month, the teenager impressed supporters, with one fan comparing him to 41-goal Chelsea superstar Cole Palmer, while Leeds United Live claimed he showed “no stage fright”, adding that his display was “very positive” despite the Elland Road side losing the tie 2-0. Starting on the right of midfield, the German head coach also praised the Scot, and believed his full debut offered fans a glimpse of what is to come in the years ahead.
“Such a young player has to adapt to the physicality of a pretty experienced Championship side,” said Farke in the aftermath of the game. “These are important experiences. He brings himself into pretty interesting situations, some channel runs to have some good chances. In training normally he scores 10 out of 10 in such situations. But I can't expect a 17-year-old, a bit nervous, to have the calmness he has in training."
Capped by Scotland at under-16, 17 and 19 level in recent years, the Whites helped him celebrate his 18th birthday on Sunday with confirmation of his new contract, which left Farke saying: “It is a perfect day for him. I like this player. It was not a coincidence he had his start in the FA Cup. The new contract is not a gift, we believe he can play an important role for us in the future. Developing our own players is a cornerstone of our beliefs. It's important, it's not like we can always spend money and buy players. The player with the badge, if he comes through the ranks it's a big identification. It's perfect news for him and his family and perfect news for us.”
A haven for top young talents in recent years, Chambers will hope to follow in the footsteps of Archie Gray, grandson of former Scotland international left-back Frank, who broke into the Leeds first team two years ago before being signed by Tottenham Hotspur in a megabucks deal reported to be worth £30million.