Impressive Hughes rewarded by Rovers

Blackburn Rovers FC's belief in Mark Hughes's ability "to drive the club forward" has led to the club rewarding their manager with a new contract until 2010, after which there will be a 12-month rolling agreement between the parties.

Seventh spot
The 44-year-old former Wales manager became Blackburn boss in September 2004, and originally agreed a three-year extension in May 2006 after guiding the club back into the UEFA Cup. Although Rovers have already been eliminated from this season's edition, they continue to impress in the Premier League and occupy seventh spot after 12 games despite losing their last match at Manchester United FC.

'Significant progress'
Speaking after that game earlier this month, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said of his former striker: "I think good teams reflect their manager and I think that you see Mark Hughes in Blackburn a lot of the time." Blackburn chairman John Williams added: "The club has made significant progress during Mark's tenure and we're delighted that he's signed this new contract. Mark continues to do a great job and we are very confident in his ability to drive the club forward."