Bengaluru, Feb 3 (IANS): Goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu has extended his stay with the Bengaluru FC till 2028, the Indian Super League (ISL) club announced on Friday.

"Bengaluru FC have secured the long-term presence of goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu between their sticks as the custodian has put pen to paper on a five-year contract that will keep him at the club till 2028," read the club's official release.

The Bengaluru FC goalkeeper took to Twitter to express his delight at extending his stay with the Blues and said: "What's a second five-year stint with the same football club in India? Unthinkable? Unprecedented? Unorthodox? Unreal? Then again, when have we been fans of the ordinary?"

The 31-year-old who joined the club in 2017 after becoming the first Indian player to play in the UEFA Europa League at Norway's Stabaek FC has been a mainstay in Bengaluru FC's starting XI since and has gone from strength to strength also making the starting spot in the Indian national team his own.

During this time with Bengaluru FC, Sandhu has won three trophies which include the Indian Super League (ISL) title in 2018-19, the Super Cup in 2018 and most recently the Durand Cup in 2022.

Sandhu has made 108 appearances in the Hero ISL and only Amrinder Singh is the other goalkeeper to have featured more in the Indian top-flight.

"The way the club and the city embraced me, and the love shown by the supporters makes me believe that this is the best place for me to continue my journey," Sandhu said after the announcement.

Sandhu's first task since signing the extension will be to guide Bengaluru FC to the Hero ISL playoffs. The Blues currently sit in seventh place but are just one point behind Odisha FC who could only manage a draw against Chennaiyin FC on Thursday.