Luke Douglas agrees new contract until summer 2029

The 17-year-old striker, who made his first-team debut at the age of 16, commits himself to the club for the next two-and-a-half years.

Luke made his debut in May, coming on as a substitute in a William Hill Premiership match against Kilmarnock at the Marbill Coaches Stadium. He’s since made eight first-team appearances and scored his first senior goal in July when he netted in a 4-0 win over Cove Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup.

The forward is set to return to training in the next week after an MCL injury sustained in our B team’s win over East Fife in the KDM Evolution Trophy in August.

Speaking to stmirren.com, manager Craig McLeish said: "I'm delighted for Luke.

"It gives him a little bit of security as well and it shows how highly we think of him. He's obviously missed a little bit of time just now and it's probably the first injury setback that Luke's had in his career. Even through this period it was important that we rewarded him for what he's done up until now.

"We know that because of the age he is, and what he's done already in the minutes he's played in the first team, that he'll attract interest. We love Luke to bits and he's going to be a massive player for us in the years to come. We also have to make sure that we protect assets within the club too, so I'm delighted that the club have moved on it and got things sorted.

"We still have to make sure we pick and choose the right moments to throw him in. The biggest bit for Luke is trying to understand where he's at in his career and his development. There’s a long-term plan there for him. We've spoken to him and he knows how highly we think of him. He knows that we're thinking about his long-term future here. Getting the contract sorted just helps us all move towards that together."

On signing his new deal, Luke added: "I’m buzzing.

"It’s been a really good experience [being involved with the first-team]. I feel I've learned a lot off the players as well and I’m learning new things every day which is good. The manager told me that he knows the ability I have and he’s said that I have to go and show my talents and what I'm good at.

"I feel like I've come back [from the injury] and the recovery has been all good. I'm just looking forward to getting back on the pitch again."