THE one-year contract extension that will keep Mark Reynolds at Aberdeen until the summer of 2018 could be viewed as the football equivalent of a civil service job for life, when such luxuries existed.
Now the defender's hope is that Derek McInnes will follow suit in making a long-term career out of his stay at Pittodrie.
By agreeing his new deal, Reynolds, in exemplary form this season alongside his fellow centre-back Russell Anderson, has clearly bought into the dream as Aberdeen aim for two trophies and the runners-up spot in the SPFL Premiership - and sees even better days ahead.
Having committed to staying in the Granite City, Reynolds, 26, whose side host St Johnstone today, said: "I would like to see the manager do likewise. You want to be part of a team that is being successful, competing in the league and trying to win trophies and I can achieve that at Aberdeen.
"It's great the manager wants me to be here and it shows his long-term aspirations. He doesn't want this year to be a flash in the pan. This is a new Aberdeen that will hopefully be challenging in the league and the cups for a long time.
"The manager wants to do something here and create a legacy at Aberdeen. You only have to walk up and down the corridors and see the club's history in pictures on the walls and we want to be part of that.
"I hope the gaffer can spend the next few years contributing to that plan. I get the feeling he wants to. You never know what's going to happen in football but he's building something here and I wouldn't think someone would put in so much work and then walk away after only half a job done."
The St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright, meanwhile, has moved quickly to bring in cover at the back following long-term injuries to Tam Scobbie and Frazer Wright.
Tim Clancy has signed until the end of the season and goes straight into the squad. Wright said: "We had to act quickly and full marks to the chairman for finding money that wasn't in the budget to bring in Tim.
"We simply couldn't afford to go with just four defenders with so much still to play for and Tim has vast experience of the Scottish scene.
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