Ferdinand close to signing contract extension

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Sir Alex Ferguson, the Manchester United manager, has revealed the club are "not far away" from agreeing a new contract with Rio Ferdinand. The 29-year-old defender has been outstanding for United this season and recently captained England for the first time.

Ferdinand, who arrived in July 2002 from Leeds United, has two more years left to run on his current deal but has already indicated he is keen to stay put for the remainder of his career.

"We have been negotiating for a few weeks and I do not think we are far away," Ferguson said. "But you know what negotiations are like these days, they are never easy."

Ferdinand marked his 50th Champions League appearance with an assured performance in the 2-0 victory against Roma in the quarter-final, first-leg tie in midweek.

"I thought Rio was particularly impressive in the second half against Roma, especially his interceptions," Ferguson said. "He also has the pace to deal with players who try to get beyond him."

United are aiming to make it six successive clean sheets in the Premier League when they visit Middlesbrough on Sunday.

John O'Shea could retain his place in the team alongside Ferdinand as Nemanja Vidic is out for up to three weeks after injuring himself against Roma in midweek.