Planet Swans ArchivesMartinez penned a deal that it is believed will tie him to Swansea until 2012 – just rewards for a man who has led the Swans to the second tier of English football for the first time in 24 years.
The club acted quickly to secure longer services of the manager they appointed in February 2007 and whilst doing so sent a clear message that they want him to stay long term and lead them to the promised land.
Speaking after signing the contract, Martinez said "I’m confident that, if I’m given the time, I can get this club to the Premiership
“It would be a big mistake to just try and somehow get there quickly and then not be good enough to remain there.
“In that respect my job is to work on a daily basis towards creating a football club that will be able to get there and achieve our Premiership dream.
“For that I believe five, six or seven years to be the normal amount of time needed to be a Premiership force. But our end goal is that we can be a top 15 club in the UK.
“That is achievable because of the fan base we have got, the talented squad we have got and the people we have got on the board.”
He continued: “It’s going to be a big jump into the Championship. But we will slowly make sure we are a solid club that can remain there and that, further down the line, we are strong enough to compete at that level.
“Then we can dream of the Premiership.
“I’m delighted and I’m flattered with the contract, but I never had anything in my head apart from being successful with Swansea City.”
Martinez went on: “From the outside it is always hard to find loyalty in football. And, in a way, sometimes you need to sign a contract to show you really mean what you say.
“I had no problems doing that and I’m flattered the board want me here. But, on the other hand, I wanted the fans to know I’m going to be here until they are tired of me.
“We’ve got a fair way to go but I’m really looking forward to the challenge. We have a lot of things that we need to improve. But, as we have shown in the last six months, when we stick together , we are a force that can compete against anyone.”
