Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet has signed a new five-year deal at the club.
He joined from Sunderland in 2013 for a fee believed to be in the region of £9 million, and has made 122 appearances for Liverpool since.
The Belgium international is now contracted at Anfield until 2021, despite speculation that he was under pressure in recent weeks.
Both Mignolet and his deputy Adam Bogdan have been the focus of criticism as the defence has repeatedly conceded from set pieces, but the long-term deal appears to come with the backing of his new manager Jurgen Klopp.
Speaking to the club website after signing the deal, Mignolet hinted that the German had been keen to keep him in place, saying: "ever since I arrived [to Liverpool] we have been going in the right direction. Also, with the new manager, who has praised me a lot – not only speaking with me personally but also to the outside world – I feel a lot of confidence from him".
He recognised that the pressure will not ease up on him, adding "I know signing a new contract comes with new responsibility. I’m getting older as well and coming into the years where people would say those are the years a ‘keeper is at his best. I know with a long-term contract, you get more responsibility – and I want to take up that role because I’m the sort of character that wants to be a leader, wants to speak in the dressing room and wants to help the defence".
While he stated that he wants to thank the team and fans for supporting him, he admitted "you can’t really do that with words, you have to do that with performances on the pitch. And that’s what I’ll try to show".
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
