Soccer-Pugh extends contract with Bournemouth till 2018

Nov 24 (Reuters) - Bournemouth winger Marc Pugh has committed his future to the club by extending his contract till the summer of 2018. Pugh has made more than 200 appearances since arriving from Hereford United on a free transfer in 2010 and needs one more strike to reach 50 competitive goals for the club. The 28-year-old, who is currently the longest serving player for the Cherries, was an integral part of the side that won two promotions in their route to Premier League football. Pugh has started six league games this season and scored his first top flight goal in the Cherries' 4-3 win over West Ham United on Aug. 22. "It's amazing to have it all sorted," Pugh told the club's website (www.afcb.co.uk). "I've always wanted my future to be at Bournemouth -- I love the place. It ticks all the boxes for me on and off the pitch. "The rise has been incredible. We've got a great squad and great characteristics in the dressing room -- that will take us a long way." Bournemouth, who are second-from-bottom in the league table, will hope to get out of the relegation zone on Saturday when they host seventh-placed Everton. (Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru; editing by Sudipto Ganguly)