Dick Advocaat has extended his contract as head coach of Feyenoord to keep him at the club until the end of the 2020/21 season.

‘Obviously it feels strange in these times, but good as well to prolong my contract at this fantastic club,’ said Advocaat, who will be nearly 74 when his current term ends next June.

‘In these crazy last few weeks I’ve noticed how driven I still am and what a huge appetite I have to keep going as trainer. We were in the middle of something special here at Feyenoord when everything ground to a halt, something was really starting to emerge within the team. I, the staff and the squad want to finish the job.’

Technical director Frank Arnesen said he was delighted that Feyenoord had secured Advocaat’s services for another season. ‘Under Dick’s leadership we had put together a fantastic run that was sadly interrupted by the coronavirus measures.

‘It’s not clear when we will be able to play football again, but when that moment comes we need to be ready as a club. For me that starts with securing a very good coach.’

Since taking over from Jaap Stam at the end of October, following a 4-0 thrashing by Ajax, Advocaat has steered the Rotterdam club from 12th place to third in the Eredivisie as well as reaching the cup final.s

Feyenoord were hoping to win the KNVB Beker for the third time in five years against Utrecht on Sunday, but the match has been thrown into doubt with the government’s decision to ban all professional matches until September 1.