American striker Mike Grella has penned a new three-year contract with the Whites.

The new deal follows a string of good performances in pre-season and comes just days after his notable display in United's 1-0 Carling Cup first round victory at Darlington.

"I'm absolutely delighted to have signed the deal. The dream when I came here was to sign a pro contract," he said.

"It is good to know that the club have instilled a bit of belief and confidence in me. I want to be part of the group and play as big a part as I possibly can in getting Leeds promoted so we'll have to wait to see how it plays out. I am sure the goals will come for me," he added.

Mike said the new contract came as a bit of a relief and gave him time to progress as a player.  "The manager told me that he obviously rated me and that if I worked hard, Leeds would be the place for me to grow and become a better professional," the 22-year-old striker added.

Mike initially joined the club last January following a successful trial period, which saw him score a hat-trick on his first reserve team outing, against Barnsley, which he followed up by scoring twice in the next reserve game, against Grimsby.

He made his first team debut as a substitute against Huddersfield Town last February and came off the bench to play 11 more times for the senior side while, in addition, he was an unused sub on five occasions. He gained further experience in pre-season and caught the eye with some good displays.

The pre-season programme also saw Mike score his first goal in a senior shirt - against Burnley at Turf Moor.

Born in Glen Cove, New York, he enjoyed a successful youth career in American college soccer. Three years ago he played for the Long Island Rough Riders and in 2008 for the Cary RailHawks Under-23 side.

He has represented the United States at both under-18 and under-20 level.

In January of this year he turned down the chance to sign for Canadian club, Toronto FC, opting instead to try his luck in European football and was given an opportunity at Elland Road.