Paul Dummett Extends Newcastle Stay as Defender Pens New 4-and-a-Half Year Deal

Paul Dummett is set to continue his love affair with Newcastle United after he penned a new four-and-a-half year deal with the Magpies.

The defender could end up staying on Tyneside until the summer of 2022 after the club's official site revealed the news on Thursday afternoon.

Dummett has been a mainstay in Newcastle's squad for the best part of eight seasons, and has racked up 131 appearances in all competitions for the Premier League side in that time.

Speaking after putting pen to paper on fresh terms, the 26-year-old revealed his delight at continuing his journey with the club he grew up supporting in the football mad city.

He said: "It's my boyhood club and I've been a supporter for many years so to extend my stay at the club for even longer is really important to me.

"I've always wanted to stay here and the manager and the club have wanted to keep me so I'm really pleased to have signed the new contract and hopefully there are many more years to come."

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Dummett missed a large portion of the 2017/18 campaign after he picked up a hamstring injury in Newcastle's first league game of the season against Tottenham Hotspur.

Since his return to full fitness, however, the Wales international has helped Rafael Benitez's men secure three wins and four draws in the past nine top flight clashes.

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It is form that has helped the north east side steadily climb away from the foot of the top division, and manager Benitez revealed how happy he was to see Dummett extend his stay at St.James' Park.

The Spaniard added: "If you talk about players that are important for the team, normally people talk about goalscorers, midfielders and number tens but in modern football, there are not too many consistent left-sided full-backs.

"Paul is exactly that; he understands the game and you know what you can expect from him week in, week out. That's important when you have a lot of big games. He's a player you can trust.

"He was unlucky to miss the first four months of the season through injury, but he's a player who is quick to learn and knows his job really well. 

"His return has given us more competition in a position where we did not have too much before, so we're really pleased to keep him."