Gelsenkirchen, Germany  - Germany defender Heiko Westermann has extended his contract with Schalke 04, the Bundesliga club announced on Friday.

The 25-year-old said that he was happy to have extended his contract until 2014. "It was not a difficult choice for me, Schalke has a special place in my heart."

Westermann, who joined Schalke in 2007 from Arminia Bielefeld for a transfer fee of 2.3 million euros (3.1 million dollars), had a contract that was supposed to run until 2011.

"I am very happy that we have been able to bind such a strong player to the club," Schalke president Josef Schnusenberg said. (dpa)