WING wonder Kevin Penny has expressed his gratitude to Warrington Wolves after signing a new contract that will keep him at the club until the end of 2011.

Wolves have moved quickly to hand the 19-year-old rising star a two-year extension to his contract, which had been due to expire at the end of 2009, after the Warringtonian speedster's exciting displays attracted the interest of Super League and rugby union clubs.

Penny has become a cult hero among Wolves fans - with 'Catch Me If You Can' merchandise already on sale at the club shop - after scoring nine tries in six matches since his first senior start at Leeds on June 1.

The first six tries all came away from home but he opened his Halliwell Jones account with a nine-minute hat-trick in Sunday's 42-6 win against Salford.

Penny, who is already being tipped for future international honours, admits the past few weeks have been some of the best moments of his life.

He said: "I'm a Warrington lad and it's an honour to play for my hometown club.

"I'm very pleased to sign the contract and I'm even more pleased that the club want me to stay with them.

"I'm quite happy to stay here, I don't think it would be fair if I went anywhere else at this moment in time.

"I didn't really expect to be playing this early in the season and I certainly didn't expect to be starting when I got put in.

"I've really enjoyed it and I've never experienced anything like this before so I am making the most of it.

"It's quite a proud feeling to hear the fans shouting your name and to see fans wearing your T-shirt.

"But at the same time I'm only young, so I'm just keeping my feet on the ground and not getting too carried away with it."

Penny was brought into Wolves' Academy set-up at the age of 16 after playing just one game for Padgate High School's rugby league side.

He made his first-team debut as a substitute against St Helens at the end of 2006 - only two years later.

He said: "When I signed the contract with the Academy, Paul Cullen and (under 21s coach) Gary Chambers said to my mum that I could be playing by the time I was 18.

"We just laughed at them because I was only little and I'd only played once for school, so to imagine that I'd be playing two years down on the line wasn't really a thought. But I've worked hard and it's paying off for me.

"I don't really like looking too far ahead because the games are coming fast at the minute but I would eventually like to play for Great Britain and represent my country.

"At this moment in time, though, I really want to do well for Wolves and cement my place in the first team."

Paul Cullen is delighted the club have added to recent overseas signings with a new contract for a player born and developed in Warrington.

Cullen, who has previously stressed the importance of producing more players from the Academy, said: "He's already on contract and we've extended it because he's earned it.

"Players are given opportunities and asked to take them with both hands.

"This player has and he has delivered.

"To score nine tries of that quality in six games is remarkable. Although he is on contract he was attracting attention not only from other clubs in Super League but from the world of rugby union and we're delighted he's committed his future to Warrington Wolves.

"He has the ability to go all the way to the very top. He's blessed with natural speed and his character will do the rest.

"He forces teams to defend against us a little bit differently. They have to defend wide to make sure they don't give him a gap on the edge.

"He will exploit the smallest of gaps and if teams pull wide to defend against him it opens it up for players like Chris Bridge to poke through the line a little bit closer to the ruck."