Bardsley has made nine Premier League appearances this season

Sunderland's Scotland international defender Phil Bardsley has signed a new three-and-a-half year deal at the club.

The 25-year-old former Manchester United trainee's current contract was due to expire next summer but he is now tied to the club until 2014.

He has made nine appearances so far this season for Sunderland.

"I'm delighted to be able to stay," said Bardsley. "Being part of the manager's plans is great and I'm enjoying my football."

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce added: "Obviously there's a decision myself and the board have had to make and to be fair to Phil he has done very, very well.

"The last thing we wanted to do was to let Phil run into a Bosman situation.

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"He has played his part, he is a valuable member of the squad and he has been rewarded for that."

Bardsley, who earned his first international cap for Scotland against Spain last month, joined Sunderland from Manchester United in January 2008 for £2m, and has since made 80 appearances, scoring once.

Meanwhile Bruce has been boosted by the return to action of midfielder David Meyler, who had been out with a cruciate ligament injury picked up in last season's home defeat by Manchester United.

The Cork-born 21-year-old played half an hour of Sunderland reserves' match against Liverpool on Tuesday.

"It's remarkable, he's a manager's dream," Bruce added. The one thing I've got to be careful with him. He's played half a game in the reserves after six months out which is quite an unbelievable comeback.

"I still think he needs another six or seven games in the reserves to make sure we look after him, I certainly won't contemplating using him until Christmas to be fair to him."

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