• 30-year-old midfielder signs new three-and-a-half-year deal • 'I would love nothing more than to finish my career here'

Leon Britton has become the latest player to commit himself to Swansea after agreeing a new three-and-a-half-year contract at the Liberty Stadium.

The 30-year-old has become a firm fans' favourite since making his debut while on loan from West Ham in 2002 and, aside from a short spell at Sheffield United, has spent the last decade in south Wales, racking up more than 400 appearances.

His composure in possession has marked him out as a key figure in the club's Premier League success, and he follows Michu, Wayne Routledge, Ashley Williams, Ben Davies and Michel Vorm in agreeing a new deal. Britton told the club website: "I'm delighted. I know I've said it before, but I would love nothing more than to finish my career here."

Like Michu, Britton's new contract is a one-year extension to his existing deal, and will keep him with Swansea until at least the summer of 2016. In March of last year Britton had signed a contract that ran until 2015.

The diminutive midfielder admits he could never have imagined the Swans would become a Premier League club and be looking forward to a first major cup final when he arrived at their old Vetch Field home just over a decade ago.

"The club has been my life for the last 10 years, apart from a six-month sabbatical at Sheffield United, of course, and there's no other place I'd rather be playing my football," he said. "I never expected things to turn out the way they have when I returned from Sheffield two years ago.

"The club was in the Championship at the time and there was certainly no guarantee of promotion. But we went straight up into the Premier League, have established ourselves in our second season and we are now looking forward to our first major cup final."

Britton hopes his new deal will allow him to reach another landmark with the club. "The target for me has always been 500 appearances," he added. "That will really be something special for me.

"I'd like to think I can keep performing regularly in the first team for a few more seasons yet. It's probably for others to say, but personally I believe I am playing the best football of my career."