Soccer: New deal for Saints stalwart

Southampton defender Francis Benali has been rewarded for his 16 seasons with the club with a one-year extension to his contract.

His current deal was due to expire this summer and would have seen the 33-year-old quit the club he has served since he became an apprentice at the age of 16.

But the 12-month extension means he could well see out his career at St Mary’s.

‘‘It is good to get it all sorted. It was all very straightforward. Everyone knows how much this club means to me and that I do not want to leave,’’ said Benali.

‘‘I would love to finish my playing career here so I am delighted with the extension. It gives me a bit of security and is a weight off my mind.’’

The defender has been kept out of the side by Wayne Bridge and has not started a Premiership match since April 2000 but he is confident he can force his way back into the reckoning.

‘‘I have enjoyed working with Gordon Strachan and the rest of the staff and now it is just a case of trying to get back in,’’ he added.

‘‘I have had to come to terms with not being automatic first-choice but things can change very quickly in football as recent injuries have shown.

‘‘Football is much more of a squad game so I am just keeping myself as fit and as ready as I can,’’ he told the club’s official website www.saintsfc.co.uk.