Wales international Joe Allen has said he has opened talks with his club Liverpool over the prospect of a new contract.
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Allen followed manager Brendan Rodgers to Liverpool, after the Northern Irishman left south Wales, in 2012 for a fee of £15 million and has gone on to makes over 80 appearances for the Merseyside club.
The 24-year-old has just over two years left on his current contract, but is ready to commit his long-term future to the club after it had been speculated in the media for much of the week he would.
The Reds midfielder said, “We’re at the early stages at the moment but the signs are good.
“From my point of view I’m looking to commit my future here and hopefully I can be here for years to come.
“For me it’s just a case of playing regularly and putting in consistent performances.
“I’ve always been confident that with that I’ll able to be successful here.”
Recently, Allen had been out with a hip injury which forced him to miss Liverpool’s FA Cup quarter final draw at home to Blackburn, though he will be fit for selection to face former club Swansea this Monday.
The midfielder is clearly excited at the prospect of facing his former club and told BBC Sport, “It’s a club that means so much to me and the club I still support.
“Unfortunately I missed the game at the Liberty last season so I’ve been really looking forward to this game for a long time.
“We understand it’s going to be a tough game at the Liberty.
“They’ve beaten some big clubs there this season and we all know we’ve got to go there and give 100%.
“It’s going to be a tough game to get the three points but with us challenging for those top places it’s a very important game.”
Liverpool currently sit fifth in the Premier League and are two points behind fourth placed Manchester United in the race for Champions League football.