Wanderers boss Gareth Ainsworth said he's excited at the club's long term plans after it was confirmed this week he had signed an unprecedented five and a half year contract.

Ainsworth penned a contract extension on Boxing Day but Wanderers only confirmed the length of the deal this week.

It's the longest length deal ever handed to a Wycombe manager and one of the longest in Football League history.

Ainsworth - the 23rd longest serving manager in the Football League - said the length of the deal reflected the long term plan being put in place to stabilise the club by chairman Andrew Howard.

By the end of the five year plan Howard and Ainsworth want Wanderers to be a sustainable League One club.

Ainsworth said the stability of the deal would enable Howard to focus on getting the finances right, while he would be free to crack on with team affairs.

He said: "He's got a long term plan and it's a fantastic reassurance to know he wants me as part of that. I'm buying into the plan he's got. It's fantastic having a chairman like I've got putting the faith in me.

"In this game people say they have to manage upwards and downwards. As a manager I only have to manage one way, and that's downwards with my team. Andrew's a great mentor for me.

"There was no hesitation from me to commit to the plan he's got in place. There are only 92 projects in the country like this, so to be part of one is a privilege and I'll never take it for granted."

The Blues boss added: "Within a couple of years we want to be looking at sustainability and being in the higher league, but we are talking years three, four and five of the plan. Let's get years one and two out the way and achieve what we want to achieve, and we'll see where we are.

"First of all stability, then success, then sustainability at a good level - that's the plan for Wycombe Wanderers. It's great everyone's buying into that.

"To have some sort of plan and some direction is brilliant. We needed that here, to have aims.

"The length of the contract reflects the plan, and the length of time it will take to turn Wycombe Wanderers around. It's not an overnight thing unless we get a Sheikh investing in us."

Howard said: "Gareth is the perfect fit for Wycombe Wanderers – that’s never been in doubt since the day I walked into the club and he will play a huge part in what we see as being a bright future.

"He has the utmost respect of his staff, players and everyone who works for Wycombe Wanderers, and his new contract gives security both to the club and to him so that we can all plan for the future with him as our manager.

"There may be ups and downs along the way but we now have a five-year plan – survival, security and then success."

Ainsworth's contract is the longest given to a manager since the eight year deal handed to Alan Pardew during his time in charge of Newcastle United.

It is unlikely that the club would be required to pay the full term’s compensation if they should ever decide to terminate the contract.