The 29-year-old has agreed a new four-year contract to keep him at the Lancashire club until 2012.

Emerton has established himself as a key member of the Rovers squad since arriving from Feyenoord in 2003 making over 200 appearances for the club.

Rovers chairman John Williams admitted Emerton's new deal was a massive boost for the club.

"This is great news for the club," Williams told the Lancashire Evening Telegraph.

"Brett has been an excellent servant over the last five years and we are delighted to have agreed a deal which keeps him here for another four years.

"He's a very willing member of the squad and a real club man."

Emerton joined his Blackburn colleagues last night as they crashed to a 3-1 defeat to Bundesliga newcomers TSG 1899 Hoffenheim in a friendly in Austria on Monday night.

The Australian played the first 45 minutes before being replaced at the interval.

After a goalless first half, which saw Morten Gamst Pedersen pick up an injury, Rovers boss Paul Ince made a host of substitutions with Robbie Fowler coming on for his Rovers debut.

And it was Hoffenheim who took the lead six minutes into the second half when Christoph Janker followed up after Jason Brown saved a header.

Benni McCarthy's 63rd-minute volley drew Rovers level but two minutes later Matthias Jaissle's header just squeezed beyond Brown to give the Germans the lead again.

And in the final minute Janker grabbed his second to ensure victory for Hoffenheim.