Ipswich Town manager Paul Lambert has signed a new long-term deal with the club.
The Scot, who was appointed by owner Marcus Evans in October 2018 but was unable to save the club from relegation, still had 18-months to run on his old deal but has now put pen-to-paper on fresh terms.
That means his deal now expires in 2025.
We understand the new deal has been agreed for several weeks, with a delay in announcement relating to ongoing discussions with the rest of Lambert's coaching staff.
The new deal comes just a week after Lambert cast doubt over his future with the club, following his comments after the Boxing Day draw with Gillingham, and represents a real commitment from Evans to a manager who he recently described as 'giving the heart back to the club'.
That comment related to the feeling of unity Lambert has fostered between the team and its fans, at a time when support for the club was drifting on the back of a decade of decline.
"Football management is a precarious business and I have stated many times the importance of having a long term vision which is executed by a management team who are confident that they will be given time to continually improve the performance and quality of the squad," Evans told the club website.
"The coaching group led by the manager have done a fantastic job in turning a fragile environment - following last season's relegation - into one where we have a mental expectation to win every game.
"The last few matches have seen results not go our way, however, we should not lose sight of the fact that we have lost only five games in the league in the first half of the season and are performing better at the halfway point than nearly every team that suffered relegation last year from any division.
"We have all seen many relegated teams pick up in a new season where they left off, losing games with nervous performances. This has not been the case at Ipswich.
"Paul has developed a strong squad and has been a catalyst in the Club's re-engagement with fans, including playing a role in helping to bring new supporters to Portman Road. I am therefore pleased to announce that Paul and I reached agreement last month to extend his current deal for an additional four years and we are now able to officially announce the new contract.
"We would all, of course, like to be announcing this on the back of a better run but short term performance does not change the importance to the Club of supporting a management team who I believe over the next few years will take Ipswich Town back to where we all want and expect it to be."
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