Mike Phillips has signed a new deal with the Ospreys © Getty Images

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Players/Officials: Mike Phillips

Tournaments/Tours: Magners League

Teams: British and Irish Lions | Ospreys | Wales

Mike Phillips has ended speculation about his playing future by signing a new long-term contract with the Ospreys.

The Wales and British & Irish Lions scrum-half will stay with the Magners Leaue region until 2014 after agreeing a four-year extension. Phillips, 27, had been widely linked with a move after starring in the Lions' narrow Test series loss to South Africa in 2009.

Phillips moved to the Liberty Stadium in 2007 following a spell with the Cardiff Blues and has won 38 Wales caps, including a Grand Slam in 2008, and three for the Lions.

He has highlighted his ambitions for the next Lions tour, to Australia in 2013, as a major factor in his decision to extend.

"The Ospreys have helped me to develop as a player no end over the last three years, the improvement in my game has allowed me to represent Wales and the Lions while I've been here," he said. "I want to further my international career with Wales over the next few years and get on the next Lions tour, and if I'm going to achieve those longer term aims, then the Ospreys and the coaches here will clearly be a big factor in that, like they have been with everything I've achieved since coming here.

"With my future sorted, it means that I can just concentrate now on getting myself up to speed for some of the big games that we've got coming up. We have ambitions to be among the best sides in Europe, we aren't there yet but we are heading in the right direction. With the set-up here, everything is in place to go all the way and I'm excited about the future for the Ospreys. There's a lot of expectations on us, but that's something that we just have to live with."

Having recently returned from a long-term ankle injury Phillips is in contention to play a part in Wales' trip to face Ireland in their next Six Nations challenge on Saturday. He was rushed back into the international picture for their loss to France after only one half of domestic rugby but remained on the replacements' bench.