Sven Bender has signed a new contract with Borussia Dortmund to keep him at the club until 2021.
Bender, 26, who joined Dortmund from 1860 Munich in 2009, had previously been under contract until 2017.
Ilkay Gundogan, Mats Hummels, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Marcel Schmelzer's BVB deals are all set to expire next year and Bender has voiced his hope that they will follow his path in committing to the club in the coming weeks.
"I am incredibly happy that I will continue to wear the black and yellow jersey in the future," he told Dortmund's official website. "I would be delighted if one or two of my teammates were to follow me in the next few weeks."
Sven Bender bleibt bis 2021 beim BVB. https://t.co/CQ9TKNhVQ5 pic.twitter.com/D8AHQmgwtC
- Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) February 23, 2016
Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke praised Bender as an "incredibly important club staple" who opted for a "sustainable future at BVB," while sporting director Michael Zorc added that the Munich-born player is "a cornerstone" for the side both on and off the pitch.
Bender was a key player in Dortmund's return to the top of the Bundesliga under former boss Jurgen Klopp, featuring in 55 of the 68 league games between 2010 and 2012 as the club won back-to-back titles.
However, the midfielder has struggled with injuries in the last couple of years and has played in just 50 of the last 90 Bundesliga matches, while he has only won six league starts this term.
