Jonny Evans has put pen to paper on a contract which will keep him at the club until 2014. Sir Alex Ferguson announced the deal at the Player of the Year awards this week and Evans has today signed.

“I am delighted to have signed a new contract,” Evans said. “I’ve supported Manchester United all my life and it’s a great honour to be able to continue to wear the badge of this great club. I’d like to thank the staff, players and fans for their continued support in my development.”

You can never underestimate the positive effect that having the likes of Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville has on our squad. Evans’ attitude is testament to that, with him joining several players in aspiring to spend as long with the club as they have.

“Negotiations started a couple of months ago and went pretty smoothly and I’m glad to have finally signed,” he contined. “It’s nice to have a bit of security. It means I can start planning – little things like that are good. They help you settle and put your mind at ease. It would be nice to stick around as long as the older guys who are signing extensions. They just keep going. The contract is there but you still have to perform for the manager. If your performance levels dropped you could be sold in January. Playing at a club like Manchester United you are always going to be involved in big matches and it’s something I relish. I have really enjoyed the last two seasons. It has been a great experience for me and I have learnt a lot.”