YORKSHIRE all-rounder David Willey has signed a new three-year contract extension, keeping him at Emerald Headingley until the end of 2022.

The 29-year-old, who joined Yorkshire from home county Northamptonshire ahead of the 2016 season, will go on to represent the White Rose for a seventh domestic campaign at the very least having today put pen to paper.

Willey’s current contract was due to expire at the end of 2019, but following his late omission from England’s ICC Cricket World Cup squad, the club moved quickly to secure his services for the next three years.

Willey, who has played 46 ODIs and 28 T20Is for England, now has the opportunity to represent the White Rose with increased regularity.

“It has been a difficult four years being in and out through the summers and I’ve not really been settled,” said Willey, who has taken 11 wickets in the four Specsavers County Championship matches he has played for Yorkshire in 2019.

“With things moving forward, it’s really nice that I’m going to be here for an extended period and hopefully I’m around and can contribute to some silverware.

“From a personal point of view, I feel very settled up here in Yorkshire, I’ve got my family here and we’ve recently moved house. I’m very settled.

“Over the past three or four years I’ve probably been more unsettled on the pitch at Yorkshire, being in and out with England. That makes it hard to feel part of the group.

"When you move to a new county it takes time to bed and for you to feel part of it, so moving forward this summer I’m going to be available a lot more and over the next few years I imagine it will be much the same.

“Hopefully I can become a much bigger part of things on the field and play a part of some success for the club.”

Willey made his debut for the club against Nottinghamshire in May 2016 and became the 181st player to wear the 11-petalled rose when he was awarded his county cap four months later.

Contrary to recent speculation, Willey, who misses this particular County Championship fixture against Essex at Chelmsford due to personal reasons, never considered playing his cricket elsewhere.

“I’m run off my feet with two young kids as well, so it’s always nice to get the contract sorted,” he added.

“I had no intention of moving on anywhere else and I love playing my cricket up here.

“I try and keep the game moving forwards with both bat and ball and try to contribute in all three areas of the game.

"I always get asked the question ‘are you really that interested in four-day cricket?’ and at the game at Scarborough last week, where there were seven or eight balls left, I came off the field and said to the boys that’s why I still want to play four-day cricket. That win was better than any one-day win I’ve had in the past few years.

"It’s the hard fought wins and the ebb and flow of four-day cricket that gives you that joy, that winning feeling that we experienced against Surrey.

“The desire from players young and old to keep improving, to try and be better individually and as a group is brilliant and is testament to the staff. Everyone is pulling in the right direction. I just want to win games for Yorkshire and contribute on the field to some success.”

Willey, who is looking to play red-ball cricket more regularly, has taken 178 First-Class wickets in 70 matches since his debut in 2009, 30 of those for Yorkshire.

The explosive all-rounder has also amassed 2,559 runs and 116 wickets in 175 T20s, continually proving his ability to change a match with either bat or ball.

Yorkshire’s director of cricket, Martyn Moxon, added: “He's a three dimensional cricketer across all three formats and will be a crucial member of the squad going forwards as we develop.

"He’ll be an integral part of the squad and a key member. As we’ve seen with him playing regularly, recently, his contributions in four-day cricket have been important and the more he plays the better he’ll get.

“His career with us has been a bit stop-start due to England commitments, but the more continuous cricket he plays the better he’s going to get. I think he’ll perform well for us over the coming years.

“He’s very competitive and is valuable to us around the dressing room, so his contributions both on and off the field have been excellent.”