Wellington Phoenix leadership duo Steven Taylor and Alex Rufer have re-signed with the A-League club through until at least the 2021-22 season.
Captain Taylor has signed for two additional years, and vice-captain Rufer for three.
Coach Ufuk Talay says both players bring their own qualities and skill sets.
"Taylor is a natural leader and a very influential player for us, he leads by example both on and off the field - he brings an abundance of experience to the club and he's an important player for us moving forward with the direction this club is heading.
"Rufer is a young talented player who has captaincy qualities as well; he had a great season last year and this season he’s been very good and influential for us - and he's still a young player so it’s great to have him committed to a three-year deal with us."
Talay adds that the re-signings help the future of the club.
"Obviously these are two very important, core players of the group – and maintaining our players creates consistency and builds the club for the future, which is vital.
"It's great that our players want to be here and help build towards something special; they have a lot of belief in what we’re trying to achieve, not just short-term but long-term as well.
"The timing of this is very important for us; we need to build consistency and to know what direction we're heading in – not just this season but long-term. It's vital to have our core players signed long-term if we want to want the team to continue to win matches and be competitive."
