Widnes Vikings forward Dave Allen has signed a contract extension that will keep him at the Stobart Stadium until the end of the 2014 season.

The 27-year-old former Wigan Warriors player had 12 months left on his current deal, but is delighted to extend his time at his hometown club.

“I’m absolutely made up to have signed a new deal,” said Allen, who had spells with Oldham and Barrow before joining the Vikings for the second time three years ago.

“Widnes is my hometown team and I’ve never had any intention of moving elsewhere so tying myself to the club until the end of 2014 was an easy decision to reach.”

Widnes coach Denis Betts said: “Over the past few years, Dave has proven in the Championship competition that he is a Super League player and last season he was definitely one of our stand-out performers.

“Dave is a player who turns up and performs in every single game and continually proves his worth to both the team and the organisation, and we were always keen to offer him an extension to his current contract.”