Duo sign new Chelsea contracts

15 July 2011 13:31
England Under-21 internationals Josh McEachran and Ryan Bertrand have signed new long-term contracts with Chelsea.[LNB] Midfielder McEachran, 18, has penned a five-year deal, while full-back Bertrand, 22 next month, agreed a four-year contract.[LNB]McEachran was part of the Blues' FA Youth Cup winning side in 2010, and has made 17 first-team appearances, including four starts.[LNB]Bertrand joined Chelsea from Gillingham in July 2005 and had productive loan spells in the Championship with Norwich, Reading and Nottingham Forest, returning to make his Chelsea debut as a substitute against Birmingham in April.[LNB]McEachran intends to work hard as he looks to continue to progress, telling the club's official website: "I need to keep working. This season my target is just to play more minutes.[LNB]"Hopefully I will play more games and keep improving."[LNB]He added: "I feel really sorry for Michael (Essien) because he has had a lot of injuries before, but hopefully it will give me a chance to prove myself to Andre (Villas-Boas).[LNB]"Hopefully, I will get a run-out against Portsmouth, that would be good.[LNB]"I just want to get more minutes this season, if not at Chelsea then I will go out on loan, but I want to play here as much as I can."[LNB]McEachran is looking forward to the club's Asian tour, which will feature games against a Malaysia XI and Thailand All Stars before taking on Hong Kong First Division League champions Kitchee and either Aston Villa or Blackburn in the Barclays Asia Trophy.[LNB]"It was good to play my first game back against Wycombe this week, good to get some touches of the ball and be back in match situations," he said.[LNB]"I went away with the first team last pre-season when we played in Germany for a few days, but this will be the first tour when I go away for two weeks so it should be good."[LNB]It remains to be seen whether McEachran, who made 17 appearances for Chelsea under Carlo Ancelotti last season, will be part of the first-team group in the coming campaign, or as he suggested gain some more first-team experience elsewhere.[LNB]The academy graduate intends to continue his hard work and progression towards one day becoming a Chelsea regular, having penned a five-year deal.[LNB]"A long-term contract is what I wanted since I was a kid, and hopefully I will spend my career at Chelsea," he said.[LNB]"It will be good if I do, but I need to keep working. This season my target is just to play more minutes.[LNB]"Hopefully I will play more games and keep improving."[LNB]Bertrand is in no doubt Chelsea provide a bright future under new manager Villas-Boas.[LNB]He said: "It is a big commitment, I see the club going in the right direction.[LNB]"I want to stay here, it's the reason I came here six years ago and it's refreshing to have the new manager come in.[LNB]"I am looking forward to listening and learning from him.[LNB]"I can see the manager is young and hungry and wants to take the club forward so I want to be part of that and I thought it was best for me to stay.[LNB]"Obviously Ashley [Cole] is number one left-back but hopefully I can get a game here and there.[LNB]"I am aiming to get a few more games. I hope to stay here this season and hopefully catch the manager's eye."

Source: Team_Talk