Arsenal coach extends his contract

London, Sep 7: Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger has signed a three-year extension to his contract, the Premier League club confirmed today, ending months of speculation about his future.

The Frenchman's current deal was due to expire at the end of the season and fans feared the 57-year-old could leave the club.

However, today's announcement means the club's most successful manager in terms of trophies won can now set about building a team to challenge Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool for domestic honours.

''My heart is tied to this football club so signing a new deal was always my intention,'' Wenger, who will become the club's longest serving manager, said on Arsenal's Web site (www.arsenal.com).

''Arsenal is the club of my life.'' Wenger said he had been given complete freedom to implement and execute his plans to make the team successful. He acknowledged that he had a responsibility to Arsenal fans to deliver trophies.

''This club has deep-seated roots and a tremendous heritage and it is my aim to uphold these important values and help create new history for future generations to recount.'' Wenger, who has won seven major honours for the London club including two league and FA Cup doubles since taking over as a relative unknown in 1996, is worshipped by the club's fans.

However, his future looked uncertain last season with the sudden exit of vice-chairman and firm ally David Dein.

Speculation intensified when talismanic striker Thierry Henry was sold to Barcelona at the end of last season.

'WONDERFUL NEWS'

After Dein's departure Wenger said only that he would honour his current contract at Arsenal, alerting several big clubs such as Real Madrid to his possible availability. He has also been linked in the past to the England coaching job.

Arsenal Chairman Peter Hill-Wood said it was ''wonderful news for Arsenal'' that Wenger had extended his contract and that he was looking forward to more success at the club.

''Arsene has a special ability to develop talented players and turn them into world class stars, a quality that is admired here at the club and indeed around the world,'' he said.

In his decade at the helm Wenger has transformed Arsenal into one of Europe's most attractive sides. In his first full season in charge (1997-98) he masterminded the double and repeated that feat in 2001-2002.

His crowning glory came in 2003-2004 when Arsenal's ''Invincibles'' won the league without losing a game, the first top flight team to manage the feat since 1889.

In each of the Wenger's 10 full seasons in charge he has qualified the club for the Champions League. They reached the final for the first time in the club's history in 2006, losing to Barcelona in the final.

After the departures of Patrick Vieira, Henry, Freddie Ljungberg and Sol Campbell, Wenger's new crop of talent such as Spaniard Cesc Fabregas, Czech Tomas Rosicky and Brazil's Denilson appear capable of challenging for silverware.

Reuters>