Ryan Edwards has thanked the Partick Thistle fans for making him feel so welcome at the club, after signing a one-year extension to his current deal yesterday that will keep him at Firhill until the summer of 2019.

The Australian midfielder says it was an easy decision to make, with the reception he has been given by the staff at the club another major factor in his decision to prolong his stay.

And he hopes that he can thank the Thistle management, his teammates and the supporters by continuing to produce the fine form on the pitch that he showed during an impressive campaign last season.

“The supporters have been great with me here,” Edwards said. “They even created a song for me last season and it gives you a nice little buzz to hear that when they sing it. I love that, the fans are great.

“Being in Glasgow, everyone supports Celtic or Rangers, so the fans that support Partick Thistle are the true fans, and they really mean a lot to the club and to me.

“They’ve made my time here even better, and I want to thank them for all the support.

“It was a really easy decision to sign the new deal. We spoke briefly at the end of the season about it and got it done when we came back. It’s such a great environment so I didn’t have to think about it.

“Last season was a breakthrough season for me really, forcing my way into the team and playing every week, so it made a lot of sense.

“I can’t thank the club enough for that, and it’s a great platform for me to play my football at the moment and it has brought me on so much as a player.

“Everything is so positive here and the club is moving in the right direction. It has been great for my career being here, and hopefully I can repay everyone by continuing to perform on the field.”

The connection that Edwards has with the club shouldn’t be underestimated, with his willingness to put up with the Scottish weather an indication of his commitment to Thistle.

“You probably never get used to the weather, that’s the only thing,” he said. “It’s summer now and it’s 12 degrees!

“But I’m really settled off the pitch too. My girlfriend has moved up now, we’re loving it in the West End and everyone in Glasgow is so nice and friendly. I just feel really at home.”

The challenge for Edwards now is to add to his own game and continue his improvement, and he hopes that will continue to be under the guidance of manager Alan Archibald and assistant Scott Paterson.

“The manager has been massive for me,” he said. “He gave me my initial contract and I haven’t hesitated to sign a number of extensions since.

“He has given me confidence to go and play, and it’s absolutely massive for the club that he’s still around.

“It was a major factor in my decision to extend my deal, and hopefully both he and Scotty stay around.

“I can’t speak highly enough of them. I think it’s inevitable that they will go down south to England at some point, and they deserve to, but hopefully it isn’t for a few years yet.

“There are things I want to improve in my game, and I hope they are the ones to oversee that.

“I’ve got to a level now where I really want to focus on things like my composure in the final third, and trying to put that last little bit into my game. I want to really increase my assists and goals.

“I hope that I can one day in the future get back to play in England again if I show my best form here. I’m obviously in no rush to leave Thistle, but I’ve had a taste of it with Reading and I’d like to go back down there in the long run and prove I can play at that level.”