Shahar Piven committed his future to Maccabi Tel Aviv by signing a new three-year-contract with an option which should keep him at the club until 2022.

The 22-year-old defender, becomes the third former Youth Department graduate to sign a new long-term-contract this week. After a two-and-a-half-year spell at Beitar Tel Aviv Ramle for which he made 77 appearances, Piven joined Ashdod on loan in January last season. In his first season playing top flight football, Piven, impressed as he made 16 appearances for Ashdod. 

Piven told the club’s official website: “This is something I have been working for all my career. My ambition was to return to the club I grew up at and sign a professional contract. I am fully aware of the expectations but I think that I am ready. I intend to work extremly hard and wait for my chance”.

Maccabi’s CEO added: “This signing gives me great pleasure to announce. This week has seen us reward our Youth Department graduates with new contracts. Shahar is another deserving recipient. Shahar has done it the hard way and via a number of loans culminating in his first taste of the top flight football with Ashdod last season. Shahar acquitted himself well and has impressed Vladimir Ivic and the rest of the staff in pre-season. I’m really looking for to seeing Shahar fight to get his chance and then take it!”.