Fonte agrees Southampton contract extension

Southampton captain Jose Fonte has agreed a new deal with the club which will run until 2018.

After moving to St Mary’s Stadium from Crystal Palace in 2010, the centre-back aided their rise from League One to the Premier League.

In 2014, Fonte received his first international call-up and has now represented Portugal on seven occasions.

And the 31-year-old is delighted to have extended his stay at Southampton.

“I am obviously very pleased and very happy,” Fonte told the club’s official website.

“I want to thank the manager [Ronald Koeman], [executive director of football] Les Reed, [chairman] Ralph [Krueger], [owner] Katharina [Liebherr] – all of the staff and all of the board – for showing their trust and belief in me.

“I am extremely happy that they are giving me this opportunity to keep being in this great club and I hope I can give back with good performances and by helping the club move forward.

“This is where I feel happy and where I’ve been very successful, so this is where I want to be and where I want to win.”

Fonte is a role model, according to Koeman, and the Dutchman is glad his future has been secured.

“I’m very pleased because he’s an important player for the team – he’s our captain,” he added.

“He has played already several years for the club and he is really feeling well in Southampton – he’s a great professional and an example how you have to behave in football. 

“He knows what you have to do to develop yourself, and I’m very happy that he stays for more years.”