Kuyt pens new Liverpool deal

Soccer:Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt has agreed a one-year contract extension to remain at Anfield until 2013, his management company have announced.

The Netherlands international, who joined the Reds from Feyenoord in 2006, was contracted until next summer but has been rewarded for his form this season.

In a news release issued by Sport-Promotion, the 30-year-old said: "I am very happy. We have spent a long time (in discussions) but always with the intention to reach an agreement. All the conversations were conducted in a friendly atmosphere. It fits perfectly with the feeling I got at this club. Since the day I first walked in, I felt welcome. That feeling has never left."

The release added that Kuyt had been discussing new terms with the club for the past month. Kuyt, who played in the World Cup final with Holland last summer, has struck 11 times for the Reds in all competitions this season.

He scored his first hat-trick for the club in last month's impressive Barclays Premier League win over Manchester United and has since followed up with further goals against Sunderland and Manchester City.

Yet it is not principally for goals that Kuyt has earned a regular starting place in his five seasons at Anfield, but his all-round contribution and tireless workrate. Although signed as a striker in a €12million deal, Kuyt has been deployed most successfully in a right-sided midfield role.

Manager Kenny Dalglish was quoted in the Sport-Promotion release as saying: "He never gives up, fights with everything and he is simply a good footballer. He scores goals and it's as simple as that, and often in major competitions or at crucial moments, like the recent Manchester United game. Dirk is happy with the extension, and I am sure we will enjoy having him."