Ryley Towler has celebrated a memorable first season with City by signing a new contract which runs until the summer of 2030.
The defender says extending his stay was an easy decision after feeling at home from the moment he arrived, playing a vital role as he featured in 40 of the Imps' Sky Bet League One games on the way to a famous title win.
Towler said: “I’m buzzing. Since I’ve come in I’ve loved every minute of it. All the players and staff have been absolutely brilliant with me, so as soon as I knew a new contract could happen, I wanted to get it sorted straight away.
“I don’t think many people on the outside expected us to have the season we did. But after a couple of weeks of training with the lads every day, seeing the quality we had and working with the staff, I knew we were capable of doing something special."
Towler is also looking forward to continuing his development under head coaches Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw, crediting the pair with helping him improve throughout his first year at the club.
He said: “They helped me so much last season, both on and off the pitch. The little details they focus on make a massive difference to your game.
“Their motivation before matches, the work they do on the training pitch and the extra sessions after training all helped me improve. They were excellent, so I'm pleased to keep working with them.”
Having previously experienced Championship football with Bristol City and Portsmouth, Towler is relishing the challenge of helping City compete in the division.
He said: “It’s a really tough league, there’s no doubt about that. But we’ve got quality and I think the way we play will really suit us.
“Everyone at this club – the players and the staff – want to be at this level, and we want to stay here. It’s exciting to test ourselves against some top teams.”
After an intensive pre-season programme, including the recent warm-weather training camp in Spain, Towler says the squad is ready for the challenge ahead.
He added: “The lads have been at it from day one, especially out in Spain during the training camp.
“The standards have been really high, even in the hot weather, and the intensity and hard work have been brilliant. We can’t wait for the season to start.
“We’ll come up against some top opponents, but we’ve got so much quality, and we’ve got the mentality and passion to do really well.”
Sporting director Jez George added: “Ryley epitomised everything about the squad last season, always putting the team first, always ready to play and contributed massively to our success. He is hugely popular within the dressing room and amongst the staff for his character and mentality, and the selfless way in which he goes about his work in respected by everyone.
“Ryley has all the attributes to become a top centre back at this level and his maturity over the past 12 months is testament to him and our environment. Ryley is 6ft 4in, quick, good technically, left footed and 24 years old, which is some package. And he’s ours! So, we are delighted to extend his contract and look forward to him developing and contributing further to what we want to achieve.”