SAM Allardyce believes it would have cost Blackburn Rovers almost £6million to replace Morten Gamst Pedersen – insisting his contract renewal was a priceless piece of summer business.

The Norwegian midfielder ended months of spec-ulation about his future when he put pen to paper on a new deal at the end of last month and Allardyce insists Pedersen’s contribution can’t be under estimated.

Pedersen, 28, has made more than 200 appearances for Rovers since joining in 2004 and, after lengthy negotiations, committed himself to the club for a further four years.

Rovers boss Allardyce said: “It was a long drawn out affair. It was a position where we didn’t really want to lose him and as it turned out I don’t think he really wanted to leave us.

“So finally we came to a mediation of falling between what we wanted to give him and what he wanted. So I am glad to see he has put pen to paper because he is a hugely experienced player.

“It is like signing a free transfer. Had he left we would probably have had to find four, five and six million pound to replace him.”

After an explosive first couple of seasons in East Lancashire that saw the Premier League’s top sides tracking his progress, Pedersen has struggled to hit such heights and has attracted his fair share of critics.

Allardyce insists he remains an integral member of his squad though and believes moving him to a more central midfield role has handed him a new lease of life.

“Yes he had some golden years at the club where he was an outstanding individual who scored many goals and provided many,” said Allardyce. “That almost became a burden on the back of his shoulders. >From board level downwards people said he is not the player he used to be.

“Okay perhaps he is not quite as good as that but to have continued to have played that way would have meant he wouldn’t have been at Blackburn Rovers for much longer. He would have been playing for Manchester United, Arsenal or Chelsea because that is how good he was.

“His contribution is still a huge one. Moving him inside has been a great move for him and for us. There is less pressure on him to provide the goals he did before the crosses he did before.

“Now he is coming from the middle of the field, making better and more accurate passes and getting more involved in the game.

He is an outstanding deliverer of free kicks. Sixty per cent of our goals were scored from set plays last year and Morten’s delivery has helped that.

“In his armoury the whole package means he is a very productive player in trying to create and score goals. Since moving him to the middle we have seen much better and more consistent performances. ”