SHANE Duffy says he is happy to stay at Blackburn Rovers after negotiations opened on extending his contract at Ewood Park.

The 24-year-old has a year left on his current deal and is one of a number of players whose terms are set to run out next summer.

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Rovers manager Owen Coyle is keen to keep his first-choice centre-half, especially following the £5.5million departure of Grant Hanley to Newcastle United last week.

Talks between the club and the player’s representatives are ongoing and the Republic of Ireland international says the situation is currently ‘out of his hands’.

He told the Lancashire Telegraph: “It’s down to the representatives; they’re dealing with it and the manager’s trying to push it.

“I’m just happy to be here and I’m happy at this club, so whatever happens otherwise, that’s not in my hands.

“It’s up to the club and to the manager if he wants to give me a new deal, but I’m happy to be here.”

Coyle was keen to tie the players he saw as key figures down to new deals when he walked through the door at Ewood Park at the start of June, but lost Hanley after the Magpies put in three offers for the Scotland defender.

He would now be loathe to lose Duffy and Ben Marshall who is another with only 12 months to run on his current deal.

Coyle, who he sees as a big parts of his plans for the season ahead, revealed he has spoken to both players and the pair featured in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Blackpool.

Duffy, who only returned to Brockhall the previous Monday, played for 76 minutes at Bloomfield Road and didn’t look off the pace, although he did admit afterwards it had been tough on his return.

Marshall, 25, started on the left of midfield and scored Rovers’ equaliser a minute before half-time, running onto Jack Byrne’s pass before bamboozling a defender and slamming home his shot.

In the second half he switched to a central role in the three attacking players behind striker Danny Graham and lasted the whole game, his first 90 minutes of the pre-season schedule.

When asked about Duffy and Marshall’s contract situation, Coyle said: “I want them both at the club.

“Now, of course, with players coming into a year to go on their contract, they’ve all got representatives and everything that goes with it.

“But I’ve spoken to both the players and it’s something that we’re trying to put in front of them, from the owners and the board, so they can look at it.

“They’ve both shown terrific attitude, wanting to be part of that.

“So that’s what I’m trying to do. I’m trying to get the good players to remain at our club and those two certainly feature heavily in that.”

Duffy has been linked with a move to Celtic this summer, but Coyle stated last week that there had been no concrete offer from the Glasgow club.

Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers swooped to sign former Liverpool and Manchester City centre-half Kolo Toure on a one-year deal over the weekend, making Duffy’s move north of the border even more unlikely.