Chimbonda signs until 2009

Pascal Chimbonda der der der...

... not include such a clause and is delighted to committ himself to Wigan.

He told the club's official website: "The move to Wigan and the Premiership has gone really well for me. It was always a dream for me to play in England and so far things are going fantastically.

"I had no hesitation in signing this new deal. Paul Jewell and Mr Whelan showed great faith in me when they brought me here and I'm delighted to repay that faith by committing myself to Wigan Athletic.

"There was never a chance of me leaving in January. I've settled in here better than I could ever have expected. The manager, the chairman, the players and the supporters have been brilliant and I'm really enjoying being part of this great adventure. I've got some great friends here now.

"People have been saying nice things about me personally, as well as the rest of the team, but it's not for me to say how well I've played, I'll leave that to others.

"My only concern is to impress the manager and doing my best for Wigan Athletic every week. If people write about me then great, but it's not about how well I do, it's about Wigan Athletic and staying in the Premiership.

"The Premiership has been as tough as I expected and as tough as people told me it would be. We've had to work very hard to get the points we've got, I'm sure there are even tougher times ahead but we are a team here and we'll face those challenges together.

"I'd like to reserve special thanks for the Wigan supporters who have been so good to me. I've never known support as passionate as this and they have played a big part in me feeling at home at this club. I hope to repay them by playing well for the rest of the season and for many more to come."

Pascal: Signed until 2009

While his manager Paul Jewell could not be happier with the news. He added: "There was never any danger of losing Pascal, but we wanted to act quickly to make sure the rest of the Premiership understands he's not for sale. We took a gamble on him during the summer and judging by his performances so far it's paid off.

"However, we don't rest on our laurels here and Pascal knows he'll need to keep playing well and improving.

"He's a unique character, I don't think I've ever worked with anyone quite like him before, wearing gloves in September and all that and I'm told the tights are on their way. But he's very serious about his football and so are we and behind the big smile there's an intelligent footballer with a steely determination to win. That's what I like in players."