A WEEK SINCE he helped the club win its first major trophy in five years, Graham Carey has extended his contract with CSKA Sofia.

Carey was a member of the side who recorded a 1-0 win over Arda in the 2021 Bulgarian Cup final, as they made amends for a penalty-shootout defeat to Lokomotiv Plovdiv in last year’s decider.

A creative, left-footed midfielder, the 32-year-old joined CSKA Sofia from Plymouth Argyle on a two-year deal in June 2019.

Despite being linked with several clubs back in the UK, including Bolton Wanderers and Dundee United, Carey has extended his stay in the Bulgarian capital.

The Dubliner began his professional career at Celtic. He went on to play for Bohemians, Huddersfield Town, St Mirren and Ross County before embarking on a four-year spell at Plymouth, where he experienced promotion from League Two.

In 66 appearances in all competitions for CSKA Sofia, Carey has scored six goals and chipped in with 18 assists.

After the Bulgarian outfit caused an upset by beating Swiss giants Basel in the qualifying round, the former Republic of Ireland U21 international played three times in the group stages of the Europa League last year.