Distin still wanted at City
24 Mar 2007 - 13:29:03
Manchester City manager Stuart Pearce is desperate to try and keep centre-back Sylvain Distin at the club next season, with the Frenchman out of contract in the summer.
The 29-year-old stopper has been linked with a number of other Premiership clubs after deciding to wait to make a decision on his future until the summer.
However, Pearce is still seeking an agreement with Distin, who has been with the Citizens since the summer of 2002.
He said: "I passionately hope that he will be here longer than the summer. Only time will tell, but we will do everything we can to keep him here.
"People only have to look at his reaction to scoring a goal both at Aston Villa earlier in the season and at Middlesbrough last Saturday to know he is a player fully committed to this club.
"If there had ever been any inkling that he wasn't committed because of his contract situation, then we would have had to address that.
"I have always known that even if his contract negotiations go right to the wire that he would be fully committed, because that is the type of man he is.
"There's no doubt we will face competition to keep him because Sylvain is a good player. We'll have to endeavour to do the best we can to persuade him to stay."
