Borussia Dortmund left-back Marcel Schmelzer has signed a new five-year deal, the club announced on Monday.
Schmelzer, 28, had been one of four key players -- alongside Ilkay Gundogan, Mats Hummels and Henrikh Mkhitaryan - under contract at Dortmund until 2017.
On Monday, the Magedburg-born player became the first of them to prolong his stay at the Westfalenstadion when he put pen to paper on a contract that runs until 2021.
"I am delighted to be part of this squad going into the future," Schmelzer, who joined BVB as a 17-year-old in 2005, said.
"Borussia Dortmund is and will stay my sporting home, and the region has become a place to call home for me and my family over all these years."
Borussia Dortmund und @Schmelle29 verlängern Zusammenarbeit bis 2021 https://t.co/XV0zTDn8Z1 pic.twitter.com/a6sDvJiQEj
- Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) April 25, 2016
Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke praised Schmelzer as "one of the strongest left-backs in Europe" and called him "a wonderful person who has as much respect and affection for BVB as we have for him."
Sporting executive Michael Zorc said Schmelzer "fully identifies with our club" and would continue his development under new club coach Thomas Tuchel.
In recent weeks, the defender has been mentioned as a potential candidate for Germany's Euro 2016 squad. He won the last of his 16 caps so far in a 1-0 win against Chile in March 2014.
Schmelzer, who was promoted to the senior squad by Jurgen Klopp, succeeded Borussia club legend Dede at left back. He has made 196 Bundesliga appearances and won two German championships and one German cup.