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Promising Widnes prop Alex Gerrard who has played in all the club’s games to date, has signed a contract extension with the club, in a deal that will see him at Widnes until the end of the 2015 season.
Gerrard, 21, joined the Vikings back in 2008 and scored his first try for the club in their loss to Hull KR last Sunday.
Widnes are pleased to have retained his services, with coach Dennis Betts praising the hard work and determination shown by Gerrard to establish himself in the first team.
“Alex made a decision to step out of university and delay his studies for a year to see if he could earn himself a full-time contract at the club,” said Betts.
“As a result of doing this, the commitment and level of improvement he has shown have both been fantastic and week in week out his performances are dictating that he is deserving of a place in the 17.
“It seems only fair that we utilise all of the energy and enthusiasm he has got and put it into the team and keep him here for as long as possible.”
For Gerrard, he is pleased with how things are going for him at Widnes and is pleased to have signed a long-term deal at the club.
“Things are going really well for me at the moment,” said Gerrard.
“Signing a long-term contract means I can fully focus on playing and not have to worry about any distractions.”
With consistency a big factor in anyone’s game, Gerrard is keen to ensure that he plays at a consistently high level, in order to maintain his place in the Widnes side.
“I featured in the last five games of 2012, I was picked for all three pre-season games and I’ve been selected for our opening three Super League games this year,” said Gerrard.
“I’m taking things one game at a time and working hard on my consistency. The secret now is to keep up my level of performance to ensure I maintain my place in the side.”