Heidenheim reward Schöppner with new deal: "A perfect fit for our FCH." | OneFootball

Amid the Lennard Maloney exit links, 1. FC Heidenheim have opted to reward midfielder Jan Schöppner with a new contract. The 25-year-old has started 14 league fixtures for Frank Schmidt's FCH this season, scoring two league goals and registering an assist.

Since Heidenheim's promotion to the top flight Schöppner has increased his estimated market worth from €1.5 million to €4.5 million. The former SC Verl academy man sat on an expiring contract and surely would have attracted interest as a free-agent this summer.

Schöppner's new deal runs for three years.

"This is an important sign," FCH CEO Holger Sanwald noted in a club released statement, “Jan came to us from Verl as a young regional league player back in the days of the second division and made the leap to become a key player who played a significant role in our promotion to the Bundesliga.”

“In the Bundesliga, 'Schöppi' has improved again and is a very important part of our squad," Sanwald's statement continued. "With his ambition and attitude - whether on or off the pitch - he is a perfect fit for our FCH.”

“With the upcoming Bundesliga season restart in mind, it was important to me to send a signal with my contract extension at this particular time,” the player himself added. ”I am fully convinced that we will manage to avoid relegation as a club.”