Cameron McJannet delighted to extend his Derry City stay

The 23-year-old, who joined the Candy Stripes in 2019, has settled in nicely to life on Foyleside and he believes the future looks bright under Ruaidhri Higgins' stewardship.

"I'm enjoying things here and I'm excited to see after this season what the next two years brings as well," insisted the defender who is signed up until the end of the 2024 season.

"We'll keep working hard to ensure that hopefully we can keep on getting these results. We have got European football this year and that will be an exciting experience and hopefully we can get good results in that and then we'll see what the latter part of this season holds and the seasons after that."

McJannet, who scored his first goal of the season at Finn Harps on Saturday, admits he's grateful for Derry City to give him his chance to play senior football.

"It's great whenever you are playing for something. Week in, week out you are playing for the city and that's brilliant," he added. "That's all you asked for as a kid whenever you are growing up getting into football."

For Higgins he was thrilled that the former Stoke City man has committed his long term future to the club.

"For an English fella, it would have been easy for him to sit and wait until the end of the season and see what might pop up in England, especially given the form that he's in, but he has shown amazing commitment, by signing the new deal," explained the Derry boss.

"He could be an outstanding left-back, he can play left of a back three and he has shown his quality playing that position and breaking from there joining attacks, but he's equally as comfortable in the middle of a back four, so he has got brilliant versatility.

"He also has great energy as well and I think the system we are playing at the minute suits him because of his athleticism and his running power as well.

"I think he's right on top of his game at the minute and at the age of 23, he's only going to get better and we are delighted with him. Not only is he a top player, but he's a really, really good person as well.

"You can see it every day when he comes into training, he has a smile on his face, he's very well thought of between the players and staff and I hope by the end of his time here, he'll have a Derry accent," joked Higgins.