ALBION boss Chris Hughton has hailed the England potential of Lewis Dunk after the central defender earned his fourth new contract in three years.

Dunk and French wing star Anthony Knockaert have been awarded new five-year deals.

Shane Duffy has also signed until 2021 and Hughton has not ruled out Dunk, 25, following his Republic of Ireland partner onto the international stage.

“He’s got huge potential,” Hughton told The Argus. “We look at him as a young player, because I suppose he’s inexperienced at the top level but this is a player that’s been playing regularly for the last five years.

“He must have been going 200 league games, so he’s not a young player. He’s certainly got a lot of experience of playing.

“When I put him up against some of the players in this division, similar ages and so on, then yes I think he’s a player of huge potential and it’s a big season for him, because this is first season at Premier League level.

“He’s been spoken very well about. He’s done great for me over the last couple of seasons and he’s progressing nicely.”

Dunk, also awarded new deals by Albion in July 2014, August 2015 and September 2016, received a call-up to the England under-21 squad under Stuart Pearce for two European Championship qualifiers in 2011 but did not feature.

His growing maturity has been emphasised by an improvement in his disciplinary record. Dunk has been booked just once in his last 16 appearances after 11 yellow cards and a red in 28 outings at the start of last season.

Hughton said: “That’s mostly him. We have spoken to him. It’s quite obvious that when you are one of our better players, which he is, then we need him on the pitch as much as possible.

“I certainly had conversations with him – but most of it has to be down to himself. He’ s a very enthusiastic player and one who can get frustrated a little bit when things are not going so well, as many players can. It’s one he had to control himself.

“I can say what I can but the large majority has to come from him, and it did. And he’ll need it, and we’ll need it, this season.”

Dunk, Duffy and fit-again Knockaert were all key figures in Albion’s promotion last season.

Hughton said: “We’re really delighted. Everyone talks about new signings or potential new signings and it just hits home to you that the players you manage to keep or get on even longer deals are every bit as important, if not more important.

“All three have thoroughly enjoyed their time and have done very well for us. It’s just testament to what we’re trying to do.

“It’s good to get them on longer deals, that’s for sure. All three had very good seasons last season, so their stock has risen. They are better players now than perhaps they were this time last season.

“The important thing is they wanted to sign and they want to be here, because they can see what we are trying to achieve. But in this day and age of people moving and running down thir contracts, it’s certainly good to have got them for that period of time.”