Aberdeen defender Russell Anderson has signed a new contract to keep him at Pittodrie until June 2005.

Anderson's contract was due to expire in the summer, but he indicated last month that he was happy to stay with the Dons.

He stressed that the appointment of Steve Paterson as manager had convinced him to stay.

"I've said all along that I wanted to see where Steve Paterson was going to take the club and I've been very impressed with what I've seen since he took over," he added.

"I'm convinced the prospects for the club are bright and I'm determined to be part of any future successes."

Paterson said he was delighted Anderson had pledged his future to the club.

"Russell is one of the finest players in Scotland and one I can see us building a team around," Paterson added.

"He is still short of the peak years of his career and I'm sure he will improve further over the next couple of seasons."