The City boss was delighted to see Ryan Haynes commit himself to a new deal at the club ahead of the Tranmere Rovers...
Coventry City manager Steven Pressley wants to continue to build a squad for the future after left-back Ryan Haynes committed himself to the club on a three-and-a-half year deal.
The 18-year old, who recently captained the Under-18s side in the FA Youth Cup, has already made two appearances for the first-team including starting in the 1-1 draw at Shrewsbury earlier in the season.
Haynes plays regular Under-21s football and has been involved in almost every match-day squad this season as an under-study to left-back Blair Adams.
The City boss believes it is just another step in making sure the club are preparing for future seasons, not just the current one.
Pressley said: "I am really encouraged by seeing Ryan (Haynes) sign on as it is another home-grown player committing himself to the club in the long-term.
"We are forming a young squad capable of developing which will develop the club in future seasons. It means they will stay with the club for many years to come and that is crucial in pushing this club forward.
"I have said for sometime that this club will be built on the foundations of it's Academy and this is just another step in that direction. Ryan has really impressed me ever since I came to the club.
"Last season, I saw him perform a couple of times in the Under-21s and then we had an injury crisis at left-back which gave him the opportunity. He took it well and after that, he has been part of the first-team group and he now looks a much more confident player.
"He is now an established member of the first-team squad which I'm really happy about because his ability was never in question, but about maturing as a person and getting that confidence and belief. He has got that now and he has the attributes to be a top level player."
Haynes joins a number of home-grown players who have committed themselves to the club since the summer with Jordan Willis, Jordan Clarke, Callum Wilson and Conor Thomas all signing new deals.
The Sky Blues face Tranmere tomorrow, 2pm kick-off, and Pressley believes Ronnie Moore's side will be a 'difficult test'.
Read the match preview here...
He added: "What is interesting is that if we played this fixture last season, we'd be playing the top of the table team. But they had a really difficult second-half to the season and it has took them a couple of months to regain that type of form.
"They have now gone a few games unbeaten and are picking up some good results against some teams at the top end of the table. Again, it is like every game in this division, if we don't play to those high levels then we won't get the right result.
"They like to get it on the floor and play so it should be a really entertaining game. If we can reach those levels we know we can play to, we can get the right result."