Carlisle United have today reached an agreement with defender Ian Harte on a one-year contract extension that will keep him at Brunton Park until the summer of 2012, with an option to extend until the end of the following season.
The former-Republic of Ireland star, 33 at the end of this month, put pen-to-paper on a two-year deal in June 2009 following a successful spell with the Cumbrians toward the end of the 2008/09 season.
He missed just one game last season and has an impressive haul of 21 goals in 65 appearances for the Cumbrians.
Harte started his career at Leeds and made over 275 appearances during his time at Elland Road.
He also had spells with Levante and Sunderland and made over 60 outings for the Republic of Ireland between 1996 and 2007.
Manager Greg Abbott said: "Ian has been fantastic for us since he signed and I am delighted that this is now done and dusted.
"His reading of the game is second to none and he has been a big part of the overall improvement that we have seen on and off the pitch at this club.
"We all know about his goals, and he is a real threat with set pieces and whenever he gets forward, but his all-round game sets a real example to the rest of the players in the squad.
"Doing this now means that Ian can really concentrate on his football as we all look to continue our forward momentum."
Looking toward a broader role for a player who is immediately recognisable, managing director John Nixon explained: "This is one that we wanted to complete as quickly as possible because Ian is rightly regarded as a model professional.
"His performances on the pitch are exactly what you would expect from a player who has played at the highest levels, and we have asked him to get the message out to our local community, particularly to children and schools, about the amount of hard work and dedication that goes into achieving something like that.
"He has agreed to take on that ambassadorial role for us and we think that is a positive thing for the club, the community and for the player. He has a wealth of experience and to be able to pass some of that on simply by getting out and about is something that he is very keen to do."
