Roy in no contract hurry

Feb 24 2008 by lynsey richardson, Sunday Sun

ROY KEANE insists he is in no hurry to extend his contract on Wearside.

The Black Cats boss has another full season left on the three-year deal he signed when he took over in the summer of 2006.

Keane says he is happy at Sunderland but he refuses to let talk of a new contract distract him from the task of keeping the Black Cats in the Premier League.

He said: “I’m very happy here.

“I feel very lucky and privileged to be the manager of Sunderland.

“Whatever happens next year is out of my control – I just focus on the games that are coming up.

“But if the club wants to reward me with a new contract then that means we must be winning football matches and that’s my priority.”

Chairman Niall Quinn suggested last week that he will initiate talks in the summer with a view to offering Keane a new deal.

But Keane says that, as a player, he always left it late before signing contract extensions and he intends to take the same approach as a manager.

“I’m very happy here, but I’ve never been bogged down by contracts in my life,” he said.

“As a player, I tended to leave it until the very last minute. It keeps me hungry.

“I’ve never been one for four, five and six-year contracts.”