KENT have driven off the attention of two other counties by signing South African all-rounder Ryan McLaren on a three-year extension to his Kolpak contract that will keep him at St Lawrence until the end of the 2010 campaign.

The 24-year-old from Kimberley has put pen to paper on the contract which effectively waves away his right to play for South Africa.

Speaking at Edgbaston, the scene of his dramatic Twenty20 Cup final hat-trick earlier in the month, McLaren confirmed the decision had taken him longer than first expected.

He said: "I have to look after my career and what's best for me in terms of learning as much as possible about the game, which I feel I have done in my first county season with Kent.

"I feel I will grow as a cricketer and a person here in England and when playing in county cricket, but there were big considerations about South Africa and my existing deal with Freestate Eagles to think about.

"It would have been awesome to have played for my country and it's something that I grew up wanting to do, but at the end of the day, you have to look after what's best for yourself.

"As a youngster I've seen the way guys have been treated in the national side back home, they're played, then left out, so that is concerning to see.

"That hasn't stopped me in my aspirations to play at the highest level of cricket, but it has certainly made a difference.

"It boils down to the fact that I see my immediate future for at least three years with Kent and from then on I'll make a decision as to where I want to go."

McLaren, who confirmed he will start his four-year bid toward British Citizenship stint next summer by spending 210-days in the UK, added: "It's been an awesome first season with Kent, the coaching environment and working with Graham Ford here is brilliant and it's been great to work with a bunch of guys who you get along with off the field as well as on it."

Far and away Kent's leading championship wicket-taker in 2007 with 38 victims to date, McLaren has also proved useful with the bat in tense one-day finishes, while his athletic fielding and catching were instrumental in the club's first knock-out trophy success in 29 years.

Kent's director of cricket Graham Ford said: "I'm delighted Ryan has committed himself to Kent because everyone who has seen him play this summer has seen what an outstanding cricketer he is.

"One of the initial reasons I brought him to Kent was for the energy and enthusiasm he brings to a team, and almost two-thirds of the way through this campaign he's still in there fighting, day in, day out.

"A few other counties have been interested in him, but he's enjoyed himself with Kent and it's pleasing for me to know this is where he wants to play his cricket.

"For the last couple of years we have tried to sign quality instead of quantity at Kent, so we're excited that Ryan has made this big decision to commit to us for a lengthy period."