ALEX Dunbar has become the latest senior player to pledge his future to Glasgow Warriors - and the Scotland centre is sure the Champions Cup quarter-finalists can keep getting better in the seasons to come.

The 26-year-old has signed a new two-year contract that ties him to Scotstoun until May 2019, by which time he will have been 10 years with the team. “Glasgow Warriors is a great club and I’m really enjoying my rugby just now, so it was an easy decision when it came around,” Dunbar said yesterday. “We’re playing well just now. We have a very settled squad and a lot of young boys coming through, so for me it was an easy decision in the end.

“The next few years we could push ourselves on. We’re improving this year, but have more as a squad to come.

“There was interest [elsewhere], but I’m happy with my decision to stay. I’m looking forward to getting through the Six Nations and getting back into it. We have the European quarter-final to look forward to. I’m looking forward to doing something special with Glasgow.

“I don’t let too much outside rugby affect me. I’m happy I've signed and I’m looking forward to a good Six Nations.”

Dunbar is set to win his 20th cap on Saturday when Ireland visit Murrayfield in the first match of this year’s Championship, and when fit is now close to being an automatic choice for Vern Cotter’s side. His Warriors team-mate Mark Bennett is also in the squad of 36 named by Cotter for the tournament, but when the team to play Ireland is announced on Thursday it looks likely that Bennett will miss out, with South-Africa-based Huw Jones favourite to start in the No 13 jersey. Duncan Taylor of Saracens could also figure in the matchday squad of 23 if he is passed fit, while Matt Scott of Gloucester is another in contention to partner Dunbar.

“Everybody’s playing well just now,” Dunbar added. “We have great strength in depth. Matty has started the season well with Gloucester, Huw had a great autumn internationals, and Mark has been playing well lately too. We have to keep training hard and keep putting pressure on each other to improve.”

Scotland are now training at Oriam, the new national performance centre at Heriot-Watt University, as the countdown to the Ireland match continues. Morale in the group is high, with Edinburgh having qualified for the last eight of the Challenge Cup as well as Glasgow reaching the quarter-finals of the premier European competition.

“There’s a lot of Glasgow boys here. Edinburgh got through their group. There is a good buzz here. Everybody is confident. We just need to knuckle down and get stuck in.

“We’ve developed as a whole squad. Now we go into every game a lot more competitive than we did in games gone by. We need to focus on our basics well and bring the physical edge.”

Warriors coach Gregor Townsend, who will move to Murrayfield in the summer to take charge of Scotland, welcomed Dunbar’s decision to stay with the team. “It’s great news that Alex will be staying in Glasgow for at least another two years,” he said.

“He has worked hard to improve his game - and has come back from some untimely injuries - to become an important player for the club. His ability to play equally well at 12 and 13 has enabled him to strike up effective partnerships with the other centres we have in our squad. This is another boost for us, with a number of players having already signed up beyond this season.”