Palace sign teenager Ferguson on three-year deal

Palace sign teenager Ferguson on three-year deal

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Championship - Wigan Athletic v West Bromwich Albion - DW Stadium, Wigan, Britain - December 11, 2019 West Bromwich Albion's Nathan Ferguson in action with Wigan Athletic's Cedric Kipre Action Images/Molly Darlington

LONDON (Reuters) - Crystal Palace have signed teenage defender Nathan Ferguson on a three-year deal after his contract with Championship side West Bromwich Albion expired, the Premier League club said on Tuesday.

The 19-year-old West Brom academy graduate made his senior debut at the Hawthorns this season, playing 21 league games before a knee injury cut short his campaign.

The promising full back has played for England from Under-18 to Under-20 level.

"Crystal Palace is a great club in my opinion, and I feel like there's a lot that I can bring to the team. I’m so happy to be here and I can’t wait to get started," Ferguson told the club website https://www.cpfc.co.uk/news/2020/july/nathan-ferguson-joins-crystal-palace-f.c.

Last month, West Brom manager Slaven Bilic had called on European soccer's governing body UEFA to do more to protect clubs against losing their best prospects after the Baggies failed to agree a new contract with Ferguson.

Palace, currently 14th with 42 points, host seventh-placed Tottenham Hotspur in their final game of the season on Sunday.

(Reporting by Manasi Pathak; Editing by Ken Ferris)