Last night’s news that Jay Stansfield had agreed a significant extension to his current contract at Fulham was greeted with an immediate outpouring of excitement from the fans. Not just because the young striker is a serious talent – because he is, and more of that in a moment – but that securing his services beyond an impressive introduction to life at Craven Cottage flies in the face o recent history.

Whilst Fabio Carvalho’s contract impasse continues, the gifted playmaker is not the only talented graduate from Fulham’s academy to consider plying their trade elsewhere. In recent seasons, there have been a host of promising prospects who have moved on, either enticed by one of the big boys or unconvinced of their pathway through to the first team. Mika Biereth, Cody Drameh and Matt O’Riley were the major departures last summer but Djed Spence, Moussa Dembele and Emerson Hyndman have all reached similar decisions. Arguably Fulham have only realised market value for Pat Roberts and Ryan Sessegnon and the pair may both have reason to think again about their exits now.

The reorganisation of Fulham’s academy during the close season is supposed to future proof the progress the club has made at youth level over the past decade. Huw Jennings, Malcolm Elias and Steve Wigley – the trio quickly recruited by Alistair Mackintosh to revolutionise the academy set-up – have developed what is widely recognised as one of the best youth systems in the country, but there remained a perception that there had been blockages in the route to the senior side. Jennings’ new role allows him to both adjust the academy’s recruitment focus to avoid the Brexit impact felt by British sides as well as monitor the progress of the club’s brightest talents in conjunction with Colin Omogbehin.

Marco Silva, who has been keen to promote the brightest stars from Steve Wigley’s all conquering under-23 side, has spoken in recent weeks about the need for Fulham ‘to do something differently’ in order to avoid risking the loss of youngsters coming to the end of their contract. That Stansfield, who was being courted by a number of Premier League clubs including Leicester City, Arsenal and Crystal Palace, has opted to commit his future to the club is a hugely promising sign – and might be an indication of a move to a more proactive approach from Fulham’s hierarchy.

In spite of his progress being disrupted by a couple of serious knee injuries, Stansfield has shown more than enough to suggest he could thrive at the highest levels of the professional game. He didn’t look out of place when offered a taste of senior football by Scott Parker and has continued to be lethal in front of goal for Fulham’s youth sides. There has been a slight tinkering of his role under Wigley this term, deployed often as a number ten in the under 23s, and his reading of the game and eye for a pass has always been apparent.

A highly motivated young man, Stansfield is fully aware of the need to take his chance he can – especially with opportunities to represent the first team likely to be in short supply with Aleksandar Mitrovic around. His first start for the senior side, at Birmingham City in the League Cup back in August, couldn’t have gone better. He pressed relentlessly from the front – forcing a mistake and punishing it mercilessly with a superb rising drive from just outside the box. That first professional goal was a peach; and there will plenty be more to come.

Since then, of course, Rodrigo Muniz’s arrival and the Brazilian’s own impressive acclimatisation to English football has only added to the competition for places up front. But you sense that Stansfield is someone who thrives when asked to prove his worth and, given the adversity he has already had to face, he won’t sulk after a setback. It would be easy to pigeonhole the Tiverton-born teenager as a mere poacher – given that he’s scored 36 goals in 41 games in the academy – but that would do a major disservice to his all-round game. Fulham certainly have faith in their gifted young forward and it is wonderful to see such confidence reciprocated.