Newcastle United captain Fabricio Coloccini has ended speculation of unrest at the club after signing a new one-year contract extension that will keep him at the club.
Coloccini, 33, has been heavily linked with a move to Crystal Palace this summer, but has put an end to rumours after agreeing to stay until the end of the 2016/17 season, with an option to a further year.
The Argentina international has made 248 appearances since joining Newcastle from Deportivo La Coruna in 2008 and will keep the captains armband next season under Steve McClaren.
“I am very happy to have signed a new contract,” Coloccini told Newcastle’s official website. “I have been here for seven years and I love this club. I feel part of the family at Newcastle United.
“Headlines and speculation are normal when a player only has one year left on their contract, but the club have shown they want to keep me and that has made me feel very happy and very proud.
“I am also very happy to continue as the captain of this football club. Captaining Newcastle makes me so proud. I am not from this city or this country, and so to be given the responsibility of wearing the armband every week is a very special thing.”
Coloccini has been a regular fixture in the Newcastle team since they returned to the Premier League in 2010. In fact, the Argentine defender has started 151 of a possible 190 Premier League matches, a feat that only 12 outfield players can better in that period.
For more stats on Fabricio Coloccini, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
