Mumbai, May 17 (IANS): Rostyn Griffiths has signed a one-year contract extension with Mumbai City FC, extending his stay with the Islanders until the end of the 2023-24 season, the club announced on Wednesday.
The 35-year-old played a crucial role in Mumbai City's highly successful campaign last season when they secured the Indian Super League Winners' Shield 2022-23 in record-breaking fashion.
Griffiths arrived at Mumbai City FC last year in July after a four-year stint in the A-League with fellow CFG club, Melbourne City FC, reuniting with head coach Des Buckingham.
The Australian centre back shone through in his debut season with the Islanders with 28 tackles, 14 interceptions and 43 clearances in 17 games. He also scored a crucial goal against ATK Mohun Bagan in a scintillating 2-2 draw early on in the season.
A key member of Mumbai City's resolute backline that conceded a mere 21 goals in 20 games, Griffiths presence helped make the Islanders boast of one of the meanest defensive records in the league season.
"Being a part of this championship-winning team has been an absolute privilege. We had an exceptional season last year and I am eager to take on the challenge of replicating it next season, especially with the AFC Champions League on the horizon. I'm happy to be able to continue on this journey and I'm looking forward to making more memories with the Mumbai City family," Griffiths said.
Born in England, Griffiths started his career with Blackburn Rovers before plying his trade in Australia with Adelaide United, North Queensland Fury and Central Coast Mariners. Stints with Guangzhou City (China), Roda JC (Netherlands), Perth Glory (Australia) and Pakhtakor Tashkent (Uzbekistan) followed where he enjoyed considerable success.
"Having someone like Rostyn Griffiths in our team is vitally important. His experience and versatile skill-set make him an invaluable member of our group. Rostyn is a mentor to many of our younger players, and his guidance and leadership have been instrumental in their development so far. To be able to have him on board was an important building block towards success next season and I am delighted to be able to continue working with him," said Des Buckingham, head coach, Mumbai City FC.