#PLStories- Gary O Neil excited as Neto signs new three-year deal to extend Cherries stay #AFCB

The 33-year-old arrived on the south coast last summer on a free transfer from Catalan giants Barcelona, initially signing a one-year contract. His new deal will last until the end of the 2025-26 campaign, taking him just shy of his 37th birthday. After being installed as number one following Gary O’Neil’s original appointment as caretaker at the end of August, the Brazilian international has made 18 appearances for Cherries, recording four clean sheets. Speaking after signing the new deal, Neto told Cherries’ club media: “I am very happy and very proud. From the first time (I arrived here), I loved to be here. Me and my family are really enjoying the moment of our life. “It is the perfect place, because we have kids, a young baby, and we are really easy people. We are enjoying the place, it is very quiet, very nice. “My daughter is enjoying the school, my wife is enjoying the place. This is the most important in your career, when you have this connection. Everything is perfect.” Aside from his spell at the Camp Nou, the keeper lists Juventus, Valencia, and Fiorentina as previous employers. Capped once at senior-level by Brazil, Neto also represented his country twice at the 2012 Olympics in London, where he won a silver medal. Neto has shared dressing rooms with a full host of stars, including Leo Messi, Neymar, Mo Salah, Luis Suarez, and Gianluigi Buffon. The goalkeeper also boasts significant experience in continental competition, playing 10 times in the Champions League for Barcelona, Valencia, and Juventus, as well as 24 games in Europe’s secondary tournament, the Europa League. Such has been the Brazilian’s impact since arriving at Cherries, O’Neil decided to appoint Neto as club captain in February, the goalie donning the armband for the first time in the defeat away at Brighton. An established figure in the dressing room despite only being at the club for eight months, the fact that Neto can speak English, Spanish, and Italian was also a deciding factor in his receiving of the captaincy, with Cherries’ dressing room now speaking numerous different languages. At the time of the appointment, O’Neil shared: "I just feel that Nets is an impressive individual, on and off the pitch. He has real leadership qualities. Since he’s come in, I’ve just been very impressed with how good he is around the group. “Neto has some real, good qualities that we would be silly not to tap in to. I think especially in the transfer window with the players we’ve recruited, Neto has a real good standing in the group. I think it will benefit us."