DONCASTER Rovers star James Coppinger has joined fellow midflelder Richie Wellens and full-back James O'Connor in extending his contract by another two years, until the end of the 2010-11 season.
"It's a relief, to be honest," he said. "Negotiations have been going on for a while and I am just happy to be part of the club and, hopefully, be part of something special next season.
"It's a perfect time for me, at 27 years of age and playing the best football that I ever played , to be part of the Champion-ship with Doncaster.
"With the players that we have here, hopefully we can do well and I can be a part of that."
"I've been here nearly seven years, which I have been delighted at. Hopefully we can now cement our place in the Championship and push on from there.
"Every year I have been here, it's just got better and better."
Coppinger will be in action for Rovers in tonight's final pre-season game at home to Premiership Bolton Wanderers (7.30pm), where the club are expected to pair new signings Matt Mills and Jos van Nieuwstadt together for the first time in the heart of the defence.
Mills, who played on loan for much of last season, finally moved from Manchester City for a club-record £300,000 yesterday morning after signing a three-year contract.
Mills had been Rovers No 1 priority throughout the summer, but the deal had been held up due to a change of manager at the Premiership club.
"I don't think that we were ever complacent that it would just happen," said Rovers boss Sean O'Driscoll.
"I think that everyone worked as hard as they could to get it done and dusted. The player feels settled; Manchester City have got back what they paid for him and we've got a centre-half that we know and who did well for us last season."
Commenting on the signing of van Nieuwstadt, O'Driscoll said:"Jos is an intelligent player and he has played a lot in the Dutch Premier League so he has got good experience.
"He is calm and collected and we thought that he'd fit in really well.
"To have two players of the quality that we've got, and also have cover in that area as well, means that we will go into a difficult season with a backline that it as strong as it's been in the last couple of seasons."
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