Benjelloun hoping to extend Easter Road career despite lack of offer

HIBERNIAN striker Abdessalam Benjelloun is remaining calm about his future with the club, despite not yet being offered a contract extension.

The 25-year-old's deal expires in less than four months' time but as yet there have been no formal moves from Hibs to extend his stop-start Easter Road career.

The Morocco internationalist, looked to be developing into top-class front man when he scored twice in Hibs' 2007 League Cup final triumph – a 5-1 win over Kilmarnock. However 'Benji', who missed a penalty against the same opponents in Saturday's 1-0 SPL win, looked to be on his way out of Scottish football when he spent last season on loan at various clubs overseas.

He has returned to favour under the management of John Hughes, however, and has weighed in with several goals this season. Benjelloun said: "I never worry in football. As I've said before, I want always to be here because I like the club, I like the fans, I like my colleagues."

He was relieved to see his blushes spared after missing from the spot when Derek Riordan earned three points for Hibs with a stunning free kick. "That's Derek's speciality," he said. "He knows what he's going to do and he put a free-kick into the top corner to give us three points. Only Derek can score that goal."

Regarding his penalty, a poorly struck effort saved by Lee Robinson, he said: "If it had finished 0-0, I'd be more disappointed but it was great for us to win and keep fighting alongside Dundee United and Motherwell for third place. Before the game, everybody said if we want to play in Europe, we have to start from today."

Kilmarnock manager Jimmy Calderwood was unhappy with his side's lack of goal threat. Their only effort on target was a late Frazer Wright header straight at Graham Stack and Calderwood said: "We had a lot of the ball in the second half, but for some strange reason we don't look like scoring away from home."