START IN MLS - SIERRA LEONE - CLUB - Kamara signs contract extension
United States Major League Soccer (MLS) club Columbus Crew have confirmed that Sierra Leone forward Kei Kamara has signed a new deal with the Ohio outfit.
The 31-year-old has extended his contract, which will keep him in Columbus until 2018.
The deal makes Kamara a designated player for Columbus with immediate effect.
He is the second designated player on the roster list in the current Columbus Crew squad after Federico Higuain.
The Columbus Crew head coach and sporting director Gregg Berhalter confirmed the news on the club's website:
"We are proud to be able to offer Kei a contract extension."
"To me, he is a true success story in this League: a player who has worked his way up the ranks and now has earned a designated Player contract following one of the most prolific goal-scoring seasons in MLS history last year.
"It also demonstrates tremendous support from Mr. Precourt in signing two designated players and showing his ambition for where he wants this club to go.
"This is great news for Columbus, and I am excited to see what Kei can do this year," Berhalter added.
Kamara, formerly of Middlesbrough and Norwich City, had a good 2015 season scoring 26 goals in MLS regular season and play-offs combined.
He finished joint top goal scorer in the MLS regular season, netting 22 goals but lost out on the golden boot award to the Italian Sebastian Giovinco, who provided more assists.
Kamara is the second Columbus Crew player to hit 20 goals a season and helped his side to reach the 2015 MLS Cup final.
Amongst his many awards in 2015 were three MLS player-of-the-week titles.
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