Fortune favours the brave Quinton

MANCHESTER UNITED manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes South African international Quinton Fortune will become a key figure at Old Trafford next season and beyond.

The 25-year-old midfielder has signed a new three-year contract with the newly-crowned Barclaycard Premiership champions.

Fortune, who joined the club from Atletico Madrid for £1.5million in August 1999, has only made 15 appearances for United this season after breaking his leg against Liverpool.

Ferguson has been impressed with the way he has fought back.

"We're delighted Quinton has agreed a new deal," said the United boss.

"He's been improving every year since he joined us.

"He has shown great character to come back from his various injury problems.

"He has hopefully overcome them now and he's doing really well and we look forward to him making a great contribution to the team in the next three years."

United chief executive Peter Kenyon last night said Fortune's signing was part of a quest to keep United on top of the domestic game.

He said : "We're delighted Quinton has re-signed it's about building on a successful team, not destroying it."

He repeated his belief that David Beckham is a part of United's future, adding: "You don't spend 12 months negotiating a new contract to give up on it 12 months later.

"We re-signed David because we saw him as part of our squad for the next three years.

"We want Sir Alex Ferguson to stay for three more years because we want continuity.

"It's all about continuity and David is one player we want to form that continuity around, like Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, the Nevilles, Ruud van Nistelrooy and everybody else."

Kenyon did not rule out departures but said the news should not come as a surprise.

He added: "Money is available and if we go over the budget then clearly it's a case of disposing of players as well as bringing them in.

"But that's not a headline, it's a normal course of business, the way we do things.

"Manchester United is about evolution, not revolution.

"The reality is what we'll start with next season will be the team which will hopefully take us to the Premiership, the Champions League and the FA Cup."