Brian McDermott is "certain" Sam Byram will be at Leeds next season

Brian McDermott is "absolutely certain" Sam Byram will be at Leeds next season, despite interest from a host of Premier League clubs.

Manchester City, West Brom and Cardiff City had Byram on their watch-list in January, while Norwich are also believed to be monitoring his progress having lured Bradley Johnson, Jonny Howson, Robert Snodgrass and Luciano Becchio to Carrow Road from Elland Road.

The 19-year-old Byram had a stellar season for the Whites and is set to make his international debut with England's Under-20s next month.

But McDermott is confident he can hang on to the right-back, who is rated in the £8million bracket after penning a contract extension until 2016.

The Leeds boss told the Yorkshire Evening Post: "Sam wants to be here next season and the club want him to be here next season. I'm absolutely certain of that.

"If someone does try to push him in a different direction then it won't be the player or the club who are doing the pushing. I'm not concerned about it.

"For me his development as a player will be so much better and quicker through regular football, and the games he's had at Leeds have done him the power of good.

"You can see that he's loving it and I feel very strongly that he's in the right place. I know he thinks so, too. Why would he want to go anywhere else?"

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Brian McDermott is "certain" Sam Byram will be at Leeds next season

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