FSV Mainz midfielder Suat Serdar has put pen to paper with a new contract, keeping him at the club until 2021.
The 19-year-old midfielder has been featuring heavily this season for Mainz, making seven league appearances, and starting in all four of Mainz’s Europa League matches this season.
Serdar has also featured in both of Mainz’s DFB Pokal games this season, bagging an assist in Die Nullfunfer’s intense match against SpVgg Unterhaching.
Praise from all areas
Mainz head coach Martin Schmidt spoke about Serdar’s contract extension in an interview with the club official website, saying that: "In both fitness and footballing terms, Suat Serdar is a very well-rounded footballer, who brings a tough-tackling, aggressive and quick style of play that helps to strengthen Mainz 05. He brings our development philosophy directly into the Bundesliga."
Sporting director Rouven Schroder also spoke about Serdar’s new contract, saying: "He is a prime example of the success of our youth development centre, and his route into the professional squad. Suat has still got a lot of potential for improvement as well, so we're really happy did he sees his future with us."
Homegrown talent
Serdar came through Mainz’s youth system, joining the club at the age of 12, after impressing for numerous youth levels at Mainz, Schmidt gave the midfielder to prove his worth in the first team, and since making his debut last season, Seder has remained around the first team since.
Despite having Turkish parents, Serdar declared his national allegiance to his home country of Germany, and has represented the national team at under 16-19 levels, scoring two goals in the 21 youth national team appearances the midfielder has made.
Speaking about committing his future to the Bundesliga club, Serdar said: "I have a lot of fun with the club. I feel really at home with this club and in this team, and it's the perfect environment for me to continue my development. "