Dortmund midfielder Bender moves to Bayer Leverkusen

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Sven Bender on Thursday signed a four-year contract with fellow German football club Bayer Leverkusen.

"Sven Bender has joined Bayer Leverkusen from Borussia Dortmund, signing a contract which runs until 2021," Leverkusen said in a statement.

The 28-year-old, who can also play as a defender, has won each of Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and DFL-Supercup titles twice with Dortmund.

Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Völler expressed his delight on signing Bender and said the German international's leadership will be fruitful for the young players.

"We're delighted that Sven has decided to sign for us, he's an extremely experienced and versatile player, who has proved his class at Dortmund. His quality and leadership will be good for our young team," he said.

"I've been talking to him for a very long time" Voller added. "His mentality and spirit make him an ideal leader on and off the pitch, just like his brother Lars."

--IANS

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