Stephan Keller has extended his contract with Sydney FC by a further 12 months.

The Swiss defender signed for the Sky Blues at the beginning of the season, originally on a one-year deal but has impressed the club enough to gain an extra season on his contract.

The 30-year old former De Graafschap centre-half said he was delighted to commit himself to a club such as Sydney.

''I really like everything about this club. I like the name, I like the colour of the shirt, I like how professional the club is trying to be, the great facilities and the feeling at training,'' Keller said yesterday.

''When [director of football] Stefan Kamasz approached me about extending my contract, I was very happy because I'd already been thinking about it. We sat down and had negotiated a little bit but at the end I was happy to sign.

"Now instead of worrying about whether I'll be here next year, I know where I'm going to be, where my family is going to be, and that's a big relief."

Keller said it was important that his family felt comfortable in Sydney and the fact they have settled in well made it a much easier decision to stay on.

''When I first came over and we were talking about contracts we had two options, either to sign a one-year deal or to sign a two-year deal and after talking with my wife, we decided I'd just take one year,'' he added. ''But it's been a surprise how well my wife has fitted in and she is happy and the boys are happy.''