MORTON manager Jim Duffy marked his 57th birthday by putting pen to paper on a new two-year contract, the Tele can exclusively reveal.

The former Ton defender was appointed to the Cappielow hotseat on May 19 2014, signing an initial two-year deal that was set to expire next month. 

In a recent interview with the Tele, chairman Douglas Rae gave a glowing appraisal of Duffy’s performance and revealed that he had been offered an extension. 

The Greenock gaffer also made it clear he would love to stay and on Wednesday signed on until the summer of 2018.

He told the Tele: “The chairman had intimated to me several weeks ago that he wanted me to stay, so it was just a case of getting round the table and putting pen to paper.

“I signed a two-year deal yesterday [Wednesday]. The contract gives you a bit of security and a bit of breathing space individually, but as a manager you don’t really think about that.

“You think about how we can improve, about trying to keep making steady progress and moving the club forward, and that’s what we’ll continue to try and do.

“You always go into a managerial job looking to build and progress but as we know football isn’t always like that.

“It’s not often any manager, no matter what level you’re at, gets to see something develop over a concerted period of time.

“So I’m under no illusions that because I’ve got a two-year contract that it guarantees you you’ll be here for two years.

“The only guarantee you’ll be here for two years is to continue to do well, and that’s what we’ve got to keep trying to do.

“As a manager you always believe in yourself first and foremost that you can get it right and then you’ve got to trust your players to carry out the philosophy you believe in.”

Before he can turn his full attention to next season and building on his first two years in charge, Duffy takes his Ton side to Falkirk on Sunday for their final game of the 2015-16 campaign.

And the Cappielow gaffer has drummed it into his players that this match matters every bit as much as their opening fixture against the same opponents way back in August.

He added: “It’s a game everybody has been talking about with the challenge of Hibs and Falkirk for second place and the exchange of views between Peter Houston and Alan Stubbs.

“That’s not my concern, who finishes second or third; I’m not interested in that. 

“All we’re interested in is going and doing ourselves justice.

“We’re going to make sure we’re as professional and determined as we have been for the rest of the season.

“We want to finish off in the same way we have competed all year, and that’s with the right attitude — and I wouldn’t expect anything less than us being fully committed again.

“The players know my views on it and I’ve been quite forthright to them for several weeks that we won’t just be turning up to games and that we’d be competing to get as many points as we can.

“The players have done that and I’ve got no doubt it will continue away at Falkirk on Sunday.”