Mark Hughes signs new three-year contract.

Mark Hughes has signed a new three-year contract with Stoke City after more than two months of negotiations.

The club began discussing his contract in January following wins against Arsenal, Everton and West Bromwich Albion as the 51-year-old's current deal was due to expire in 2016.

Hughes led Stoke to their best-ever Barclays Premier League finish at ninth last year in his first season with the club, and will try to beat it as they currently sit 10th with eight games remaining.

They are just one point behind Swansea City in eighth and Hughes, whose new contract will keep him at the Britannia Stadium until the summer of 2018, believes the deal can only benefit the club.

'I'm delighted to have signed a new contract,' Hughes told the club's official website. 'I think it's exciting times for Stoke City. Everyone can see there's more progress to be made and we want to see how far we can take the club.

'I came here 18 or so months ago and it's gone as well as I could have hoped - we've certainly kept progressing which is vitally important from my point of view.

'This season has been more difficult than last season due to circumstances, like injuries to key players, but we've still been very competitive and I believe we can do even better next season with a little bit more investment. Let's see how far we can go.

'Continuity is a huge thing in football, certainly in the Premier League, and hopefully the fact I've signed a new contract will give continuity to the club and, more importantly, the players because it helps them when they work with someone for a prolonged spell.

'They know what to expect and know the quality of work they are going to get and that's important moving forward.' 

Hughes took over from Tony Pulis at Stoke in May 2013, having managed Queens Park Rangers, Fulham, Manchester City, Blackburn Rovers and Wales. 

Source:Dailymail.