BOLTON cricketer Haseeb Hameed has signed a new four-year contract at Lancashire.

The ex-Farnworth Social Circle star, 19, made his first-team debut last August and played four County Championship matches.

He scored two fifties, including 91 in a home draw against Surrey, and he has been rewarded with a length of deal unheard of in the club’s recent past.

Hameed, who has played for England under 15s, 17s and 19s, has been widely tipped to play full international cricket.

Red Rose cricket director and head coach Ashley Giles believes he has the ability to shine at that level, while the man himself has not hidden that ambition.

“I’ve been at the club since being a little boy. I think I was nine when I joined. I’ve come through the age-groups and got a taste of playing for the first team last year,” he said.

“When Ash (Giles) came up and offered me the deal, I was delighted to accept and commit my future to this club.

“When I joined the squad at Kent for my second game, just to see the emotion on the lads faces after they had won the T20 Blast was a real eye-opener.

“To see what it meant to them gave me a real desire and hunger to get to the stage where I can share those experiences.

“I can hopefully win the County Championship with my home county and win trophies. That’s what this deal means. Hopefully in the four years we can have plenty more moments like we had last year.”

Hameed will open the batting with fellow Boltonian Karl Brown when Lancashire return to Division One of the Championship in April.

He continued: “I know Ash has spoken a lot in the media about us consolidating a place in Division One because the last couple of times we’ve gone straight back down.

“That will be an aim, but at the start of the season I see no reason why we can’t look to win every game. We might have to re-assess at some stage. But before the season starts, we’ll look to win every trophy.”

Hameed missed out on England selection for the recent under 19s World Cup in Bangladesh, but sees his omission as a blessing in disguise.

“To work with the coaches here (at Lancashire) and to share experiences with guys that have done what I want to do - the learnings that I have taken here, I probably wouldn’t have had if I was out in Bangladesh,” he said.

“I do feel like it’s accelerated my development in a sense, and I feel like I will be more ready for the season than I would have been if I was away.”

And of his senior England ambitions, he added: “If you’re not going to have ambitions as a 19-year-old, I don’t know when you will. As a young sportsman, you’ve got to have an ambition of playing at the highest level. Hopefully by putting in performances for Lancashire, that will come.”