Schalke extend defender Naldo's contract

Schalke have extended the contract of defender Naldo ahead of schedule till June 2019.

"Since joining us, Naldo has become the leader we hoped for. He impressed with performances on the pitch and actively lives the values of our club," Schalke's sporting director Christian Heidel said on Thursday.

The Brazilian international joined from league rivals Wolfsburg in summer 2016 to provide four goals in 46 appearances for Schalke, reports Xinhua news agency.

Naldo is a veteran defender in the Bundesliga as he has played for 12 years non-stop in Germany's top flight. The 35-year-old played from 2005 until 2012 for Werder Bremen before he joined Wolfsburg for four years. In summer 2016, Naldo's contract expired with Wolfsburg after scoring 16 goals in 126 outings.

The defender is well known for his two-footed and set piece skills. Besides, he is always a threat in aerial contests, which he proved again with his 4-4 equalizer by header against local rivals Borussia Dortmund in the dying seconds of the game on November 25.

"If you look at Naldo's performances, it is rather likely that we will continue our cooperation beyond 2019," Heidel told the club's official home page.

--IANS

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