St Mirren manager Lennon agrees new contract
Last updated on .From the section Football
Danny Lennon has signed a deal that extends his contract as manager of Scottish Premier League club St Mirren.
A two-year extension means he is contracted to the Paisley outfit, who sit fifth in the SPL, until 2014.
And the 41-year-old, who joined the Buddies in summer 2010 from Cowdenbeath, said: "It certainly wasn't a difficult decision to make.
"I'm very thankful and grateful that we managed to get it all ironed out as quickly as we did."
St Mirren have received much praise for their style of football this season under the former Hibernian, Raith Rovers, Ayr United, Ross County, Partick Thistle, Gretna, Workington and Cowdenbeath midfielder.
Speculation had suggested that the former Northern Ireland B cap was on the shortlist for the vacancy at Hibs, but he and Buddies chairman Stewart Gilmour both denied he had been interviewed.
Instead, he is looking forward to building on the side's improved performances this season.
"The current board have performed well in their duties to have the club debt free, a wonderful modern stadium and dedicated training facilities," said Lennon, whose ambition is to make St Mirren a regular top-six side.
"We are sitting in the top six of the SPL and that gives us a great platform to build on from this day forward.
"There are early signs that the ambition and the vision are taking the club in the right direction.
"We are sitting fifth in the SPL at this moment in time, Kenny McLean recently won the young player of the month award and Craig Samson was called into the most recent Scotland squad.
"We believe that there is more to come, so it goes without saying that I'm excited to be the manager of a group of such dedicated professionals who are all working so hard to make our collective vision and ambition a reality."
Lennon will now turn his attention to extending the contracts of players he wants to build his team around in the years to come.
"With some players soon to be out of contract, it is important that we don't let that get too far out of reach," he told St Mirren's website.
"So the timing of me being settled couldn't have been better."
