Philadelphia Union sign goalkeeper Andre Blake to multi-year contract extension

TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Extension

The Philadelphia Union have signed goalkeeper Andre Blake to a contract extension through 2024, with a club option for 2025, the club announced Thursday.

Blake, 30, has been a standout performer for the Union, winning MLS Goalkeeper of the Year honors in 2020 as he helped the club to their first ever trophy when they claimed the Supporters' Shield.

“Andre was the backbone of the best defense in MLS last season and has been a key piece of our club’s success the past few seasons. His high level of play has allowed us to give young defenders such as Mark McKenzie, Kai Wagner, and Olivier Mbaizo opportunities to prove themselves at the MLS level,” said Union sporting director Ernst Tanner. “As the rest of the league recognized last year, we have the best keeper in North America, and he is continuously getting better. While his play speaks for itself on the field, his mentality and the leadership role he has taken in our young squad has been as equally important. We are thrilled that he will remain with our club for years to come.”

Blake signed with the Union in 2014 when he was selected first overall in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft, the first goalkeeper ever to be taken first overall in the draft's history.

Blake holds Philadelphia's all-time records in games played, games started, minutes played, saves and clean sheets, as well as setting the single-season saves record (118 saves, 2018) and single-season wins (14 wins, 2018). He has twice been named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year (2016, 2020) and was named a finalist in 2017. He was named to the MLS All-Star squad in 2016 and 2019.

A Jamaica international, Blake has won 46 caps for his country and is currently competing at the Concacaf Gold Cup.

The move to re-sign Blake follows recent contract extensions for coach Jim Curtin and sporting director Ernst Tanner.