Moyes: Distin Earned New Deal

Manager happy to reward defender with an extended contract.

David Moyes says Sylvain Distin fully deserves his one-year contract extension.

The Frenchman put pen-to-paper on a new deal on Thursday morning to prolong his stay at Goodison Park until the end of the 2013/14 season.

Distin has been a reliable source of leadership for the Everton boss since he was recruited from Portsmouth in 2009.

He becomes the third defender to commit his future to the Club, following on from Seamus Coleman and Phil Jagielka, who have both signed new long-term deals over the course of the last month.

“Sylvain has done a good job for us. We are delighted,” said Moyes in an exclusive interview with evertontv. “We need to try and keep our players.  A lot have of these have been here for a few years now, Sylvain has and he deserves his new one-year contract.

"His performances since he came here have been excellent. He’s reliable, doesn’t miss many games with injury, keeps playing and certainly keeps himself in great condition.

“He’s a real physical specimen when you see the work he does behind the scenes, so from that point of view he is very good for us and I’m delighted to keep him.

“You are always looking to bring in new, fresh, young players because you always look to the future. But, coupled with that, you need to keep experience, in central defence especially.

“More and more it’s becoming an experienced position but now it’s even more so than in the past. His experience is vital to us.”