Defender Rostyn Griffiths extends Mumbai City FC contract till 2024

Mumbai City FC defender Rostyn Griffiths has extended his contract with the team till 2024, the club announced on Wednesday. Griffiths had played under the tutelage of Des Buckingham in the 2020 and 2021 seasons while playing for Melbourne City when the current Islanders coach was the assistant coach at the Australian club.

The veteran won the A-League Premiers and Championship double in the 2020/21 season with Melbourne City. Furthermore, the English-born played for the club in their debut season of the AFC Champions League. Griffiths also won successive Premiers with the Melbourne-based club.

After signing with Mumbai City FC, Griffiths was able to impress in the previous season. He made 17 appearances in his debut season in the Hero ISL and scored one goal while providing one assist.

The 35-year-old Australian made 28 tackles, 14 interceptions, 23 blocks, and 43 clearances in ISL 2022-23 and played a key role in helping the Islanders win the Hero League Shield.

The Australian is delighted to extend his contract with the club and he is looking forward to once again delivering the goods for the Islanders.

He said: “Extending my contract with Mumbai City excites me. Being a part of this championship-winning team has been an absolute privilege. We had an exceptional season last year and I am eager to take on the challenge of replicating it next season, especially with the AFC Champions League on the horizon.”

He added, “We have a nice mix of youth and experience at our Club, and everyone is working together to build something special. The support from the fans has been terrific and their unwavering dedication is something I truly cherish and enjoy about being at this Club. I’m happy to be able to continue on this journey and I’m looking forward to making more memories with the Mumbai City family.”

Mumbai City FC head coach Des Buckingham also expressed his delight at the contract extension of Rostyn Griffiths.

Commenting on the same, Buckingham said, “Having someone like Rostyn Griffiths in our team is vitally important. His experience and versatile skillset make him an invaluable member of our group. Rostyn is a mentor to many of our younger players, and his guidance and leadership have been instrumental in their development so far. To be able to have Rostyn on board was an important building block towards success next season and I am delighted to be able to continue working with him.”