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Benedikt Hoewedes extends his contract with Schalke

Xinhua, February 11, 2016 Adjust font size:

Schalke's team captain Benedikt Hoewedes extended his current contract ahead of time, the "Royal Blues" confirmed on Wednesday.

The 27-year-old defender, whose contract was stipulated until 2017, extended for another three years to stay with Schalke until June 2020.

"We are very pleased that Benedikt has decided to show his commitment as a key player of Schalke. It shows that he has confidence in our plans, in which he plays an important role as a team captain, and defensive lynchpin," Schalke's sporting director Horst Heldt said.

Hoewedes is a homegrown talent, who played since 2001 for Schalke and turned professional in October 2007, at the age of 19, to mark eleven goals in 206 appearances to date. He is moreover since 2011 an integral part of Germany's national team and lifted the FIFA World Cup in 2014.

"Schalke is a fantastic club with great supporters. I am grateful that Schalke's youth training facilitated my breakthrough in the Bundesliga. We have a young, viable team that is very ambitious," the Germany defender said.

The "Royal Blues" sit currently on the 4th place of the standings. They clash with Mainz on the road, to open the 21st round in Bundesliga on Friday. Endit