Peterborough United award a long-term contract to Academy goalkeeper

Blackmore (19) was an outfield player until he was 15, but has progressed rapidly under the guidance of Posh goalkeeping coach Mark Tyler.

“I am absolutely buzzing,” Blackmore told the Posh media team. “ A lot of hard work has gone in to get me to this point and I know there is a lot of hard work to come, but it is great to get to this point and let’s see where it takes me.

“I am extremely grateful to the club for giving me this opportunity, I am really excited about the future.

“It has been great working with Mark Tyler. He is a legend at this club and has helped me a lot, as have (senior goalkeepers) Christy Pym and Dan Gyollai.

“I was actually an outfield player up until about the age of 14/15 so I am a bit of a latecomer to the party when it comes to goalkeeping, but I always loved making saves and obviously distribution is now a big part of the position.

“The rest of the squad have been really welcoming to me, which has made it an easier transition from Academy football, but the bonus is that with under 23 games, there is a stepping stone to the first team.

“Obviously the next stage for me is to get a bit of first team football. I will be pushing Dan and Christy as hard as I can.”

Posh boss Darren Ferguson believes Blackmore has plenty of potential and praised the youngster’s development over the last 12 months.

Tyler, the Posh record appearance holder for a goalkeeper, added: “Will has done very well and I am excited by the potential he has. He is a lovely kid. He has a lot of great attributes and he is willing to learn and improve. He knows there are aspects of his game that he needs to work on, but he is working hard every single day in training and is always asking questions about how to improve in different areas.

“I am really pleased that a deal has been done, but the real hard work starts because you can’t rest on your laurels and he knows that. He has settled into the first team environment well, training every day with me, Christy and Dan and we have taken him with us for away games so he can get used to the feel of a match day. He has a good sense of humour, the lads have taken to him and I am excited to work with him.”