Alphonse Areola: 'A great show of confidence'

CONTRACT EXTENSION

"I'm very happy to stay on here, in the club a came up through, for the long haul. This deal is a great show of confidence. It's a beautiful gesture and now it's up to me to prove that I deserved it. I had been thinking about it for a while. A lot was written in the media that wasn't necessarily true. It was important for me to extend my contract, to stay here, to keep making progress and to grow with this club as a player who is from the youth academy. This new contract was the logical next step. The coach? I have complete faith in him. We spoke at length and I let him know what my goals are. I generally play my cards pretty close to my chest but it was important for me to open up to him. After that, the decision was made very naturally."

GIANLUIGI BUFFON

"I'm happy with how things are going and, above all, my understanding with him. He has always been - and still is - my idol. I'm so lucky to be working with him. I observe him a lot and learn a lot just through watching. He is very humble and never big-notes himself, but he is always available if you need him."

MANCHESTER UNITED

"Manchester are a huge club, with or without Mourinho. They're a bit less used to Champions League football these days, but they're back this season. The club has a big history and they know how to handle big events. During the group stage, we had a few difficulties, but we came out of them even stronger. We'll be relying on that experience when it comes to the crunch."