Kenny McLean has signed a new Norwich City deal keeping him at Carrow Road until at least 2026 - following summer transfer interest from Leeds.
The Canaries are believed to have knocked back three enquiries from Daniel Farke's club for the key Scottish international.
McLean captained the side to an impressive Championship start, and has now penned a longer term deal that will keep him in Norfolk until 2026, with a further one year club option.
The Scot has been a consistent performer for a series of different head coaches since a £200,000 move from Aberdeen in January 2018.
City boss David Wagner was adamant McLean would not be heading to Elland Road, and a Farke reunion, in the closing days of the summer window after reports of a £4m offer.
“I’ve been here five years now; this is my sixth. Extending that a lot further is something I’m very happy to be doing and thankful that the club want to do it as well," McLean told the club's official site.
“Everybody speaks about this being a family club and it really is, and I’m raising a young family here now and it’s perfect for us, and that helps you on the pitch if you’re settled off the pitch.
“I’ve had the honour to wear the armband for this club in Grant (Hanley's) absent. It’s something I’ve always tried to take on, a lot of responsibility.
“I’ve had success at this club with a couple of promotions by winning the league and I’m desperate for more. That’s why I want to be here as I know we’ve got that same goal and same ambition."
McLean insisted speculation around his future was not a distraction.
"I hope it hasn't shown in my performances," he said. "The conversations were not too heavy. It was not disruptive, it was business as usual inside the club. There was conversations to be had but nothing was going to lead any other way. I was thankful the club's stance gave me confidence that I knew I wanted to be here.
"I think me sitting here now signing a new contract shows where I am at, and where the club is at. We know there is plenty more out there to get, and hopefully we can aspire to achieve a lot more.
"There is still plenty more to do. Right now, the relationship that all the players have with the fans you can see it. We have started decently enough and the supporters are getting right behind us. Last season was tough and we take total responsibility but we have got them back onside.
"We had a great pre-season behind us and some new faces in the door helped us massively. The signings have really given us a lift, that experience was identified and brought in and the squad is perfect moving forward."
City sporting director Stuart Webber confirmed in the same contract press release McLean had been the subject of 'strong' summer transfer interest.
"We're all delighted that Kenny has committed his long-term future to Norwich City," he added.
"Kenny was the subject of strong interest from other clubs over the most recent transfer window but stayed professional throughout, leading the team in Grant's absence.
"We look forward to Kenny continuing to drive standards alongside our other senior players, as we look to achieve our goals and have more special years together."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here