VIDEO: Broxham rapt to stay at Victory

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Melbourne Victory stalwart Leigh Broxham has declared he had no intention of leaving the club before signing a three-year contract extension.

Melbourne Victory stalwart Leigh Broxham has declared he had no intention of leaving the club before signing a three-year contract extension.

Broxham, who started his career with Victory as a team assistant before his promotion to the squad in 2007, is set to become one of the club’s longest servants alongside the likes of Archie Thompson, Kevin Muscat, Adrian Leijer and Rody Vargas.

The 25-year-old, who has made 118 appearances for Victory, put pen to paper on a new deal along with defender Nick Ansell and goalkeeper Lawrence Thomas last week.

“I wanted to give myself every opportunity here for the club to offer me a contract,” he said.

“I didn’t really look anywhere else.

“I saw where the club’s going, the direction we’re going already after six months (under coach Ange Postecoglou) and I was more than happy to be here.

“I had that drive and hunger to want to get an extension and that’s what happened.”

Broxham, once traditionally used as a midfielder, was dropped from the side earlier in the season before reinventing himself as a central defender.

“I started the first game of the year and results weren’t going for us, so I think it’s only natural you try other players,” he said.

“The big one was when I did get my opportunity to let the boss know I was reliable and can do the job.

“I have to keep doing that each week. You rest on one week and you don’t do the job the next, you find yourself out of the team quite quickly.

“It’s constantly sticking to the structure of what Ange wants.”

Broxham said Victory are relishing the chance to extend their winning run against their greatest rivals in Friday night’s clash with Adelaide United.

Victory have enjoyed a stellar start to 2013, including wins over two of their biggest rivals – Sydney FC and Melbourne Heart – in their past two outings.

Add an away win against Perth Glory, and Victory are gunning for their fourth consecutive victory when they travel to Hindmarsh Stadium.

“Personally, my favourite away trip is Adelaide,” he said.

“You obviously have the derby in Melbourne, but when you get on a plane and travel somewhere that’s my favourite place to go.

“I remember going to Adelaide one of my first away trips when I was a lot younger and that’s still stuck in my memory.

“It’s turned out we’ve had Sydney, Heart and now Adelaide in a row, and we were away in Perth before that, so it’s been tough, but that’s the nature of the league.”

Victory are second on the ladder, three points behind the league-leading Central Coast Mariners, while Adelaide have slipped to fourth place.