Dortmund midfielder Bender moves to Bayer Leverkusen

Dortmund July 13 (IANS) Borussia Dortmund midfielder Sven Bender on Thursday signed a four-year contract with fellow German football club Bayer Leverkusen.

"Sven Bender has joined Bayer Leverkusen from Borussia Dortmund signing a contract which runs until 2021 " Leverkusen said in a statement.

The 28-year-old who can also play as a defender has won each of Bundesliga DFB-Pokal and DFL-Supercup titles twice with Dortmund.

Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Völler expressed his delight on signing Bender and said the German international s leadership will be fruitful for the young players.

"We re delighted that Sven has decided to sign for us he s an extremely experienced and versatile player who has proved his class at Dortmund. His quality and leadership will be good for our young team " he said.

"I ve been talking to him for a very long time" Voller added. "His mentality and spirit make him an ideal leader on and off the pitch just like his brother Lars."

--IANS
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