Adelaide United FC midfielder Osama Malik has signed a two year contract extension to stay at the Reds.
Adelaide United FC has moved to secure one of its talented home grown players with midfielder Osama Malik signing a two year contract extension to stay at the Reds.
The deal means Malik, who was the club-s Rising Star in 2011/12, will continue his career in Adelaide until the end of the 2014/15 season.
“We are delighted that Ozzie has shown faith in the club and decided to sign on,” Adelaide United Football Director Michael Petrillo said.
“He-s got a great future ahead of him and it-s fantastic to have another local kid committing for a longer term with the club.”
Particularly over the past 12 months, Malik has proven to be an integral part of the Reds- squad. Having chalked up 47 Hyundai A-League appearances to date, 23 of which came for the now defunct North Queensland Fury, Malik has grown in stature.
Malik featured prominently in helping the Reds finish top of their group in the AFC Champions League and has flourished in a holding midfield role, a position Coach John Kosmina used him in after taking charge of the squad back in December last year.
“It-s obviously an exciting time for us at the moment and hopefully we can take that beyond now and achieve something in the future,” Malik said.
“Since Kossie has come in it has been great for me, he has let me play a lot and hopefully I can keep progressing and improving to become the player that I want to be.”
On top of locking down his future for the next three years, Malik added that being able to stay and play with his home town club is extra special.
“It-s great to be playing for the team I grew up supporting and the town where I was born, and it will be great to be around the family for at least another couple of years,” Mali said.
The 21 year old has missed the last two games of the Reds- AFC Champions League campaign due to a knee injury but he is expected to be ready to go for the Quarter Finals of the Asian club competition in September and the start of the Hyundai A-League 2012/13 Season.
Meanwhile, the club wishes to advise that midfielders Spase Dilevski and Ricardo Da Silva have been released and will not be part of the Reds- squad for next season.
Dilevski made 12 appearances and scored one goal for the club, while Da Silva played five games in his first taste of the Hyundai A-League. The club sincerely thanks both players for their contribution and wishes them all the best for the future.
