Last updated on .From the section Football

Midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin has signed a four-year contract extension with Premier League side Southampton.

The 23-year-old - who cost a fee rising to £1.2m when he was brought in from Strasbourg five years ago - is now tied to the South Coast club until 2017.

"To commit my future to Southampton is a big thing because this club has big ambitions - and I have big ambitions as well," he told the club website. external-link

The Frenchman has scored four goals in 26 Premier League games this season.

His latest strike came when he opened the scoring in Sunday's 4-2 defeat by Newcastle, a result that has left them just three points above the relegation zone.

"I am a very happy man," the former France Under-21 international added. "My main focus now is to do a great job on the pitch so we achieve all of the ambitions that we have."