ESSENDON midfielder Sam Durham has signed a four-year contract extension, with the 22-year-old now locked in until at least the end of 2028.

As flagged in Inside Trading earlier this month, the Bombers had been in negotiations on an extension for Durham, who was due to fall out of contract but was keen to remain at the club.

The deal was inked on Monday, with the mid-season recruit signed through to the end of his eighth season at the club when he will reach free agency.

He told AFL.com.au he was thrilled to share the news with his family, who helped him in his quest to get onto an AFL list after being overlooked for two seasons before the Bombers snapped him up in the 2021 mid-season intake.

"I'm very happy with it. It's awesome. I got to call my family, including my mum, last night when it came through and tell her the news and she was pretty pumped. She was a big part of why I'm here. She was the one who drove me around everywhere really so she's been massive in my career so far so it was awesome to tell her," he said.

Durham's deal sees him be one of Essendon's longest signed players on the list, alongside the likes of Darcy Parish, Ben McKay and Jordan Ridley (all signed through to 2029), Mason Redman (2028) and Zach Merrett and Kyle Langford (2027).

"To sign for four years and be alongside guys like Zach, Darcy, Mason Redman and those guys who are going to be here for a long time is awesome. Building a solid foundation and playing consistent footy with those guys will be great as well," he said.

The 22-year-old played his 50th game in round one against Hawthorn and has graduated to more of a midfield role this season, with his size and running capacity adding another element to the Bombers' mix.