Wrexham's teenage centre back Doug Tharme has signed his first professional contract with the club.

The 18-year-old was the only scholar offered a professional deal at the club for the 2018-19 season by new Wrexham AFC manager Sam Ricketts.

Tharme's progression had recently sparked the interest of League One side Barnsley and the defender trained with the club for several weeks.

Upon his return to the Reds, Tharme informed the club that he would like to sign the one-year contract offered by Wrexham.

Tharme spoke of his relief at agreeing terms with Wrexham and hopes to get the chance to impress this season.

He said: "I'm over the moon to get it sorted after a few weeks.

"I was offered the deal at the back end of last season and the club have been more than good with offering the time to assess what I have.

"I've made the right decision and I'm really looking forward to getting started.

"Any opportunities I get, I'll be doing as much as I can to match their (the other defenders) level. I'll hopefully get my opportunity and get to show the fans here that I can match the standard."

Reds manager Sam Ricketts believes Tharme's all round game will only improve while training alongside the club's established defenders.

He said: "I'm really pleased Doug has signed his contract. You'll have seen through pre-season that he's a big mobile lad and has a massive amount to offer.

"He joins in with the first team now and slot's right in. He's still a young lad and will benefit from being around the likes of Shaun Pearson and Manny Smith to further develop his game."