LONDON (AFP) - Arsene Wenger's faith in Manuel Almunia has been underlined by the announcement that the Spanish goalkeeper has signed an extension to his contract.

Details of the deal were not divulged but the 30-year-old Almunia revealed that he has now set his sights on ending his career in north London, where he has this season replaced Jens Lehmann as Wenger's first-choice goalkeeper.

"I am very happy," said Almunia, who made two important saves in Arsenal's 1-1 Champions League draw with Liverpool on Wednesday. "I have extended my contract and I hope to be here for a long, long time.

"I talked to my wife and I said I did not want to go back to Spain to play. Hopefully I can finish my career here.

"Football can change your life in one second. At the start of the season, I was not playing. But football changed my life again and now I am one of the happiest men around."

As well as Lehmann, who has hinted he may retire at the end of this season, Arsenal have Poland goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski in their squad.