Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany signs six-year deal with Premier League champions

 

Simon Stone
Thursday 26 July 2012 11:19 BST
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By the time of the Manchester derby at the Etihad season, City had closed to within three points of their rivals. Mancini's side knew a win would take them top of the Premier League on goal difference. The nation was gripped by what was a match short on q
By the time of the Manchester derby at the Etihad season, City had closed to within three points of their rivals. Mancini's side knew a win would take them top of the Premier League on goal difference. The nation was gripped by what was a match short on q

Manchester City skipper Vincent Kompany claimed last season's thrilling Barclays Premier League title success was just for starters after signing a new six-year contract with the Blues.

The 26-year-old's new deal is a measure both of the faith manager Roberto Mancini has in his captain and also the direction in which Kompany feels City are heading.

With an FA Cup and league title collected in the past two years, City have already ripped up their tag as great under-achievers.

And with another campaign around the corner, the Belgium defender feels there is still much more to do.

"We have laid the foundations and now we want to win more," he told http://www.mcfc.co.uk. "If we do that then we can be one of the most successful clubs for a long time to come. That is the aim."

Given the vast changes that have taken place since Sheikh Mansour completed his buy-out in 2008, Kompany finds himself as one of the longest-serving members of Mancini's squad.

Former boss Mark Hughes spent what is now viewed as a bargain £6million for Kompany in August 2008, since when he has become one of Europe's best defenders.

He was named in the PFA Team of the Year in 2011 and won the City Player of the Year award last term, in addition to scoring the crucial goal against Manchester United in April that turned the championship battle their way.

"I have been here since the beginning and I have seen everything at the club change inside and out," he said.

"It is good to know that I can be at City for another six years. It is a compliment that the club feels so highly of me.

"Hopefully in the future I will have a bigger impact. My family is happy and there are so many more trophies to win at this club that is why it makes it so special."

Kompany is certainly not looking to rest on his laurels.

Continued interest in Robin van Persie shows Mancini is keen to strengthen his squad, even if he may be handicapped by the need to get high-earning players out of the club to try to meet UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules.

"This Manchester City project was probably one of the most difficult in Europe and so far we have all done a good job even though a lot of people said it (success) wasn't going to happen so quickly," Kompany added.

"I like the kind of characters that we have in our team; I like the challenges we have ahead of us.

"Now is the time to build the culture of winning we are in the right time; we are in the right moment."

After a training camp in Austria, City have now flown to China, where they will tackle Arsenal in a high-profile friendly in Beijing's Birds Nest Stadium tomorrow.

PA

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