Shrewsbury Town

Goalkeeper Callum Burton said there was only one place he wanted to play his football next season after signing a new contract at Greenhous Meadow.

The 19-year-old follows fellow shot-stopper Jayson Leutwiler in penning a two-year deal to keep him at Shrewsbury Town until at least 2018.

And the highly rated youngster said despite speculation over his future, he always wanted to stay at his boyhood club.

“It is great to finally get it over the line. Ever since the season has been over I have wanted to get it sorted and get it done ready for next season,” he told ShrewsWeb.

“I can start working and getting ready and I know where I am going to be come the start of July.

“I signed my first one at 17 so it is the first time I have been offered a new deal and had to look at it over the summer and then come in and sign it.

“It has been an interesting summer because it is the first time I have had this sort of situation being out of contract so it is good to get it over the line and know where I am going to be for the next two years.

“I knew from the end of the season when I got my debut that I wanted to stay and progress and it was just about getting away and thinking about everything but we were always in talks and wanted to tie down a deal that keeps me here.

“You speak to a lot of people. A lot of people’s opinions come into your head. It is your decision but you have your family, the people who advise you and it is difficult to make a decision but when you know what you want to do and have a clear idea of where you want to be in the near future it makes sense.

“I want to stay here and play games. I got questioned about that (the speculation) earlier on but I knew what was going on and the club and I knew what we were speaking about and at the end of the day I knew I was trying to get a deal here and get it sorted for the start of the season.”

Burton has been with the club from an early age and becomes one of the longest serving members of the squad.

And the England under-18 keeper says being in the first-team squad alongside the likes of Dom Smith, Ethan Jones and Kaiman Anderson shows the great work the club’s academy is doing.

“Me and Dom have been here quite a few years now. It is great to have that connection and that bond with the lads who you have grown up with in the first team now,” he said.

“It is a great example of how well the academy is doing because you know the lads we have sold like Connor, Woodsy players like that then you see the next generation coming up. 

“You saw Ethan on the last day of the season come on and make a difference so it shows you what our academy is capable of doing.

“This will be going into my tenth year now. It is the only club I have been signed to. The club is special to me and that is why staying and playing games here will be more special to me.

“I have worked with this coaching staff now for two years and Coyney and Jacko longer and I think that helps that the coaching set up has been here a long time because the younger lads know them and everybody knows what they have got to do to impress.”

Burton becomes the third keeper to commit to the club with Jayson Leutwiler and Shaun Rowley also under contract and he says he is looking forward to the competition.

“Jayson is brilliant. We have seen over the two years how good he is – obviously the first year with the clean sheets and then last year stepping up to League One,” he said.

“It is good competition but he is a friend of mine as well and we all support each other in the goalkeeper’s union as they say but it is good to have Jayson signed on. 

“You never know what could happen. You could be out of the team one week then the next week you could be starting if injuries and the other things that happen occur. You have to make sure you are ready at any time throughout the season.”

Burton made his debut on the last day of the season at Swindon and he admits it has given him a taste of things to come.

“Personally for me it was my league debut and I will never forget that,” he said.

“I obviously wanted a better result but it was brilliant for me and a day I will remember forever. If I could do that every week it would be brilliant – I couldn’t imagine anything better than playing all the time.”