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FOOTBALL

LEVEIN EXTENDING DEAL

LEVEIN: Advanced contract talks

Tuesday December 2,2008

By Jim McLean

CRAIG LEVEIN is set to sign a new long-term deal as manager of Dundee United.

It is understood that talks over the new contract which will keep Levein at Tannadice until 2011, are at such an advanced stage that they could be concluded as early as today. The move to hold on to their highly-respected manager, who has transformed the Taysiders in the last couple of years, is a massive boost for United.

And last night a source close to the club declared: “Craig has done an absolutely brilliant job for us and his commitment for the long term is tremendous news.

“His brand of leadership has been instrumental to the new-found progress at the club.”

The appontment of Levein in October 2006 by the late club owner Eddie Thompson, who died just a few weeks ago after a long and brave fight against cancer, has proved a great success.

Levein had what he described as a “special relationship” with the owner and chairman and the Thompson family were keen to see the manager continue in his role.

Right now United are sitting fourth in the league – two years ago they were rock bottom of the SPL.

Thompson turned to Levein to replace Craig Brewster as boss and since then the Taysiders have gone a long way towards winning back their football respectability.

As fate would have it, these two managers come face to face in the league at Inverness this weekend as United attempt to build on their 2-0 win away to St Mirren last Saturday.

Striker Francisco Sandaza, left, has picked up a foot injury but is expected to be fit for the Highland fixture. Assistant boss Peter Houston revealed: “Sandaza has had a wee knock on his foot for the last couple of weeks so he’s not trained, but we think he’ll be fine for the weekend.”