LA Galaxy striker Robbie Keane has signed a multi-year contract extension to remain with the club for the foreseeable future.
Keane, 33, agreed to terms on a fresh pact to extend his successful stay in southern California for the next few years, the Galaxy confirmed on Wednesday. Exact terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the new deal ensures the 2013 MLS MVP finalist will commit the next few years to reaching those same heights yet again.
The Ireland captain joins fellow Designated Players Landon Donovan and Omar Gonzalez in committing his future to the club. Gonzalez passed on the opportunity to move overseas at the end of his contract to commit his future to the club last August. Donovan reached terms on a bumper contract extension to stay with his hometown side two weeks later.
Keane represented the last piece of Designated Player flexibility for the club, barring a sudden reversal by either Donovan or Gonzalez or an increase in the allotted three DP spots by the MLS Board of Governors. Instead of pondering alternatives in Keane's spot in the post-World Cup market, the Galaxy struck a deal with the two-time Best XI selection and current Galaxy team MVP to play out the final stages of his career with the club he joined in August 2011.
The decision offers certainty as the Galaxy builds for the future. The focus can shift from keeping tabs on potential high-profile replacements to structure the squad around three players with lengthy track records of collective and individual success in the league.
This extension constitutes a prudent decision in the short- and medium-term for a club preparing to face Mexican side Club Tijuana in a CONCACAF Champions quarterfinal tie next week and pursue its third MLS Cup in four seasons when the MLS slate kicks off this weekend. As always, the focus for the Galaxy remains firmly fixed on the next title. And this deal - including the corresponding security provided to Keane in the process - should bolster those efforts in the months and years ahead.
