Hibs pair extend deals

Hibernian have extended the contracts of defender David Murphy and midfielder Steven Whittaker.

Murphy (pictured) has extended his deal with the Edinburgh club until 2010, while Whittaker will remain with the Scottish Premier League outfit until 2011.

Hibs boss Tony Mowbray was pleased to secure the pair's services at Easter Road for seasons to come.

"It's good that both of them see Easter Road as the right place for their continued development of their careers," Mowbray told the club's official website.

"Taken together with the recent contract extensions of Scott Brown, Ivan Sproule and Kevin Thomson, these six new deals demonstrate that the club is really committed to keeping our best young players together and develop the team to the next level."

The Hibees received a further boost this week when their Moroccan striker Abdessalam Benjelloun was granted a work permit by the Home Office.

"We're delighted it's worked out," Mowbray added.

"I'm sure he is going to be an excellent addition to the team, having shown in the last few weeks that he really wants to play for the club."