Sam Reid will retire a one-club player after extending deal with Sydney Swans

SYDNEY ace Sam Reid has declared he will retire a one-club player, after signing a deal extension to inject the Swans with the ultimate pre-finals boost.

EMBARGOED UNTIL 8pm - Sam Reid will stay on at the Sydney Swans after signing a new 4 year deal to remain at the SCG. Picture. Phil Hillyard

SYDNEY ace Sam Reid has declared he will retire a one-club player, after signing a four-year deal to inject the Swans with the ultimate pre-finals boost.

It’s another victory for the club’s famous Bloods culture that a young star with a brother at Collingwood and all his roots in Victoria would commit so heavily to the harbour side city.

But despite significant interest coming from other Melbourne clubs, Reid says he never considered another option.

After missing all of last season with injury Reid admits he didn’t know where he stood, but in 2017 the imposing swing forward has stood out as one of the Swans best and earned himself a career-shaping new contract.

The 25-year-old, who cut his teeth in the grand final winning side of 2012, has signed on believing Sydney could be warming towards another premiership.

“We’re really confident. The last three months has shown that if we play our best footy we can pretty much match it with every side,” said Reid.

“I was confident coming into pre-season I’d be able to put a good amount of time into training and be able to play this year.

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Sam Reid will stay on at the Sydney Swans after signing a new 4 year deal to remain at the SCG. Picture. Phil Hillyard

“The Swans have shown faith in me again by signing me up for a decent amount of time and I’m looking to repay that and play as much footy as I can.”

Reid says Sydney is home now, with his girlfriend’s family close by and the benefits of being out of Melbourne’s AFL fishbowl too great to ignore.

However, overwhelmingly his decision was made for him by the culture harvested by coach John Longmire.

The Swans is simply a club the true believers don’t want to leave, and Reid has pledged that he wants to turn four years into a career-long commitment and retire a one-club man.

“I think so. There’s no real reason why I would like to leave here,” he said.

“My soon to be wife is from up here. She’s got a really close-knit family that have been very accepting of me from day one.

“My parents get up here pretty much every second week to watch me as well. I’m not missing out on too much being up here … in terms of the lifestyle, and the weather for a start, I’ve just grown to love it over the past eight years.

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“(Re-signing) was always the goal. I’ve said from the start I wanted to stay up here … luckily we were able to work something out and get something done that I’m rapt with.

“Most guys here aren’t really from Sydney. I came here not knowing anyone so I was forced to spend time with the other first years and all the other Swans boys and it’s a great way to build relationships and it carries into your later years. You’re open and honest with all your teammates.

“The club is just a good place to be. It’s an honest area and there are no separate cliques.”

Reid says he sees himself playing out his next four-year tenure roaming between forward and back.

“The idea is I’m a forward but with that ability that if one of our bigs goes down, then I’m able to go back and play as a defender,” he said.

“Or I’m able to go back as a spare and halt a bit of opposition momentum which is what we did on the weekend. Having a bit of flexibility is a handy thing to have.”