Madrid, May 11 (IANS): La Liga side Villarreal confirmed on Wednesday that they have extended the contract of veteran central defender Raul Albiol for a further season.

Thus, the 37-year-old, who played 58 times for Spain, will remain at the club that he joined in the summer of 2019 until the end of June 2024.

Albiol's four seasons at Villarreal have seen him make 155 appearances in all competitions, while a long career that includes spells at Napoli, Valencia, Getafe and Real Madrid has seen him play 743 matches in his career.

Albiol has formed part of a team that won the 2020-21 UEFA Europa League after defeating Manchester United in the final, and reached the semifinals of the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League, beating Juventus and Bayern Munich on their route to the last four.

Elsewhere, La Liga strugglers Valencia are on the verge of agreeing a new contract with 19-year-old midfielder Javi Guerra.

Guerra has broken into the Valencia side in recent weeks and has played a key role in their efforts to avoid what would be a disastrous relegation to the second division.