Fulham have announced that young forwards Tom Wingate and Farhaan Ali Wahid have signed professional contracts with the Premier League club.

Ali Wahid, who joined the Whites aged twelve, enjoyed a strong season last year before suffering an untimely injury – registering seven goals and four assists in twenty appearances for Ali Melloul’s under-18 outfit. The lively winger made his under-21 debut during a thrilling 4-4 draw with PSV Eindhoven in the Premier League International Cup last season.

The eighteen year-old told the club’s official website:

“I can’t really describe this feeling. It’s what I’ve been working for from the moment I started playing football. Now that I’m here, it feels amazing. I joined Fulham at Under-13s, and it’s been like a rollercoaster. I’ve enjoyed every bit of my journey here. Coming through the age groups, I’ve always had a good set of boys around me who made me feel welcome straight away.

“My family have always been supportive of me achieving my dreams – and they’ve sacrificed a lot for me to do that. They’ve always given me advice and they’ve kept my feet on the ground too.”

Wingate, who arrived from Brentford when Fulham’s near neighbours closed their academy, enjoyed an excellent second year as a scholar. He found the net 17 times in 25 games for the under-18s, scoring seven times in his final six appearances. Wingate also scored a superb hat-trick against Notts County in the FA Youth Cup.

The clinical striker told Fulham’s website:

“This is a great achivement for myself and my family. I’ve worked very hard to get here and I’ll continue to work hard this year. There have been lots of ups and downs so far, but I’ve enjoyed every moment of it, even the hard times. I can’t wait for the opportunities that are to come this season.”