Cedric Kipre among four Motherwell players to sign new deals

Richard Tait, Ryan Bowman, Cedric Kipre and Charles Dunne have all extended their Motherwell contracts. Pictures: SNS Group

Charles Dunne and Richard Tait have also committed themselves to Fir Park until the summer of 2020 while forward Ryan Bowman has added another 12 months to his contract, keeping him at the club until 2019.

Kipre has won plaudits for his performances at the back for Stephen Robinson’s side, to the extent that he was called up for the first time by the Ivory Coast last month.

The former Leicester City starlet is still only 21, and has played more minutes domestically than any other player in Scotland.

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Dunne, who reunited with Robinson after the pair had been at Oldham, has become a key player for the Steelmen alongside Kipre in the centre of defence since joining from the Latics in 2017, while Tait has notched 13 assists and performed in a number of different positions since joining from Grimsby in summer 2016.

Forward Bowman, who also joined in the summer of 2016, has scored nine goals in 36 starts for ‘Well and has partnered Louis Moult and Curtis Main up top for the Fir Park side.

Stephen Robinson said he was “delighted” that the quartet had signed new deals, adding: “The four of them have been outstanding for me.

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“We don’t want to be in a similar situation as we experienced recently, where we had to completely rebuild a squad.”

Robinson and his backroom staff were forced to bring in more than 20 players in two transfer windows, but the Northern Irishman is glad to have tied down four key players going into the summer.

“This will allow us to be more specific in terms of our recruitment whilst continuing to assess those still at the club whose contract expire this summer,” he continued.

Kipre and Dunne took to social media after signing the new deals, with Kipre tweeting: “Happy to have extended my contract with the club. Big day tomorrow.”

Dunne added: “Exciting times ahead! Happy to have extended my contract with Motherwell.”

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