Fulham captain Danny Murphy is ready to commit to the club for the rest of his playing career, so dashing any hopes Stoke or Birmingham had of luring him away from Craven Cottage.

Ahead of tonight's Europa League third qualifying round, first-leg tie against FK Vetra here in the Lithuanian capital, Murphy revealed he is close to agreeing an extension to his current contract that would keep him at Fulham until 2011.

The 32-year-old ex-England midfielder said: "It is a case of getting the paperwork done and finalising a few little details.

"The manager wants me and I want to spend the rest of my career here. There's no doubting that."

So often bypassed by the long-ball game played by previous manager Lawrie Sanchez, Murphy has thrived under Roy Hodgson, whose belief in more structured passing is one of the principle reasons why Fulham finished a club-record seventh in the Premier League last season, earning them a return to Europe after a seven-year absence.

Murphy, formerly with Tottenham and Charlton, said: "I get on great with the manager. The team is moving forward.

"The club is moving forward. We're looking towards another productive season.

"I'm the captain. What more do I want? I'm just completely content."