Football
Adriana Garcia 7y

Aritz Aduriz's new Athletic Bilbao deal delights coach Ernesto Valverde

Athletic Bilbao coach Ernesto Valverde says he is delighted that forward Aritz Aduriz will remain at the club for another season.

Athletic announced on Wednesday that Aduriz, 35, whose previous deal was set to expire next summer, has put pen to paper on a new contract which will see him remain with the Basque team until June 2018.

The Spain international is in his ninth campaign with Athletic and is the 10th top scorer in the club's history with 133 goals.

"Aduriz is a special case," Valverde was quoted as saying by Marca. "It's unusual to see strikers like him with his age. He has had more recognition in his career since he turned 30, which is when he has given more continuity and his performances have improved.

"We need to learn from him, from his tenacity and the fact that he has never given up. Aduriz has a lot to teach us.

"The news [about the new contract] is good for the club and for him. Not just for what he is giving us right now but because of what he can give us next season."

Aduriz was a youth-team player at Athletic and is in his third spell with the club since returning in 2012 from Valencia.

"I'm thrilled to continue a further year with my dream, which is to continue to play at Athletic, and I'm very grateful to the club president, to the coach and to my teammates," Aduriz was quoted as saying by Marca. "I'm very proud to continue here.

"I've got a lot of challenges pending and those motivate me a lot, not just from a collective standpoint but from an individual one. I still have a lot to offer Athletic -- not just for this season but for the next."

Aduriz has scored 12 times in all competitions for Athletic in the 2016-17 campaign -- including all five of his side's goals in a 5-3 Europa League victory over Genk in November -- to help the club end the year in seventh place in La Liga. Athletic have also progressed to the Europa League round of 32 where they will take on Apoel Nicosia.

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