Thursday 31 October 2019 13:50, UK
Virgil van Dijk has signed a new six-year contract with Southampton.
The Dutch defender has agreed a deal that will keep him at St Mary's until the summer of 2022, having moved to the south coast from Celtic last summer.
The 24-year-old has enjoyed an impressive debut season in the Premier League and he told the club's official YouTube channel: "I'm so pleased, I'm so happy. It's been amazing. It's only positive.
"The club is growing and I definitely want to grow with them, that's how I feel. Hopefully we can make it happen."
Van Dijk has featured in every league game since arriving from Glasgow and Southampton's executive director of football Les Reed added: "In his first year with the club, Virgil has quickly established himself as one of the top centre-backs in the Premier League, becoming an integral part of what has been another strong season for the team.
"At 24, and with significant European experience already under his belt, we believe he can be a key pillar in our squad for years to come, and we are delighted to have agreed this new deal with him.
"Although Virgil only joined us in September we felt it was important to strengthen our commitment and we believe this also provides further indication of how serious our ambitions are for the coming years."