Ahead of the clubs European adventure, where they face Latvian champions Riga in Oriel Park on Wednesday night, Dundalk announced that captain fantastic Brian Gartland has extended his contract until the end of the 2020 season.
Gartland 32, has been the mainstay in the Lilywhites defence, alongside numerous partners for the past six seasons. He has made a whopping 214 appearances for the club.
Speaking after the announcement, Gartland said, “I’m delighted to get the deal done. I’ve been at Dundalk for six great years already and it’s the only place I want to be, so to come to an agreement that secures my future and that both myself and the club are happy with is terrific. There’s nowhere else in the country that you’d want to be playing football. The ambition of the club and the plans going forward are really exciting. It’s great to be a part of and I hope that I can play my part and help drive it forward to continued success.”
✍️ CONTRACT | #DundalkFC are delighted to announce that our club captain @B_Garts has extended his contract with the club until the end of the 2020 season. #CmonTheTown
MORE INFO ➡️ https://t.co/OZkB2MPFba pic.twitter.com/Z0zkaM80ds
— Dundalk FC (@DundalkFC) July 9, 2019
Double winners last season, Dundalk are already on course to win another league title, as they currently hold an eight-point advantage over Shamrock Rovers with 12 games remaining.
Dundalk manager Vinny Perth couldn’t be happier to see his captain extend his contract, “Having Brian signed on for next year is really positive for us as a team. Brian is our captain and leader and, while he continues to lead on the pitch, I cannot understate the value he also gives us off it. With the changes to our club in January, Brian has also been a rock for me personally. The club, board and owners recognised this and we are more than happy to extend his contract. The management team are excited to have Brian on board and look forward to working with him again next season.”
Photo Credit: Dundalk FC