FC Goa, on Monday, took to social media to announce that Carlos Pena will be staying with the club for one more season. The Spanish defender put pen to paper on a one-year contract extension which will keep him at the club for the Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2019-20 season.

The versatile defender, who is equally adept at playing as a centre back and a full back, was in the fringes of Sergio Lobera's preferred starting XI in the first half of the Hero ISL 2018-19 season but slowly established himself as a mainstay in the team during the second half.

The Spaniard struck up a brilliant partnership with Mourtada Fall at the heart of the Goa defence post the January break and became one of Lobera's 'undroppables' in the latter part of the campaign. The Fall-Pena duo was largely responsible for Goa's run to the Hero ISL final last season and then the Hero Super Cup 2019 triumph.

The 35-year-old is known for his intelligence and positioning sense on and off the ball, which makes him a perfect foil for Fall's physical and aggressive approach to the game. Like most Spanish players, Pena is a good passer of the ball, making him essential to implement Lobera's philosophy which requires the team to play out from the back.

The Gaurs are striving hard to retain the core of the team from last season and tied down Hugo Boumous with a 3-year contract extension only last week.