Schlaudraff pens new Hannover deal

Jan Schlaudraff was unable to help Hannover beat Bayer Leverkusen yesterday, but he should get many more chances after signing a new three-year contract. The 28-year-old put pen to paper on Friday with Hannover announcing the deal after yesterday's 0-0 draw at the Niedersachsenstadion. "Everything is perfect right now. I am fit and I am really happy with this club and our team," Schlaudraff said. "Therefore, I have decided to stay with Hannover 96." Schlaudraff initially struggled to impress coach Mirko Slomka and was close to a transfer 18 months ago when the club's president Martin Kind declared that Schlaudraff "will never play for us again". However, two months into last season Schlaudraff returned to the side and convinced Slomka of his worth, going on to play in almost every game from then on. "I think it was a difficult time for us at the beginning, but everybody pulled together and now we are enjoying a successful time," he told Sky television. "We now want to build on that in the coming two or three years and I am pleased to be part of that." Schlaudraff has signed a contract until June 2015.