How's this for a birthday present?
The Seattle Sounders announced on Tuesday that they have signed striker Obafemi Martins to a multi-year contract extension, a deal that comes on his 30th birthday and days after a report about the move surfaced. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it comes at the end of a regular season in which Martins made himself one of the frontrunners for MLS MVP.
"Oba has been an integral part of our team on and off the field, and has established himself as one of the premier players in MLS," Sounders owner and general manager Adrian Hanauer said in a statement released by the club. "He was a monumental signing when he first joined us last season, and we are thrilled that he will continue his career with Sounders FC."
Martins, who was already on a Designated Player deal, has been a tremendous contributor for Seattle this year. He has scored 17 goals and assisted on 13 others in league play while helping the Sounders capture both the Supporters' Shield and US Open Cup title.
In total, Martins has 25 goals in 51 MLS appearances. That has him second in goals in club history, and his 17 assists in his two years in Seattle rank him fourth all-time in the club's record book.
"I'm very excited that Oba is going to be staying on here in Seattle and that we were able to come to an agreement," Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid said in a statement. "He's had a fantastic season and we expect more fantastic seasons as we move forward."
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Martins signed with the Sounders on March 15, 2013, and scored eight goals and delivered four assists in his inaugural MLS campaign. This year, he has contributed even more to the attack to help Seattle win homefield advantage throughout the MLS Cup Playoffs.
"I'm very happy to have signed a contract to be with this team and these players for multiple years," said Martins, who delivered the assist on the winner that helped Seattle win the Supporters' Shield on Saturday. "This season is not over yet, so I'm excited to do more and score more goals, but it's nice to know I'll be here going forward."
Martins and Seattle open their postseason campaign on Sunday (9 pm ET; ESPN2) against the winner of Wednesday's Western Conference play-in game between the Vancouver Whitecaps and FC Dallas (9 pm ET, TSN1).
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