Athletic Bilbao director of football Mikel González described Ernesto Valverde's decision to renew his contract as "great news" while praising the head coach's work so far this season.

Valverde put pen to paper on a one-year extension on Friday morning and will lead the Athletic men's first team until June 2024.

"He's one of the best coaches in the world, the best possible choice for Athletic. He knows the club perfectly, he's been a player here, a head coach in three spells and he's always been successful. Under Ernesto the team has an identity, clear ideas and courage," Gonzalez said in an interview with Club media.

"We're two points behind fifth [in LaLiga] and in a Copa semi-final that is going to be very tough. When you see the team doing so well, with the fans behind them and a great day-to-day atmosphere at Lezama, sometimes you don't need to wait until the end of the season [to make a decision].

"This helps us a lot in planning for next season in terms of the squad and internal projects under the guidance of Ernesto, who is a pleasure to work with. It will give us more time in terms of the market and decision making."

González also revealed that Ernesto made no demands about the squad before signing the deal, saying: "The coach knows the market situation and he knows the work we've been doing for months trying to tie down players to the Club for many more years."