Ian Bermingham has agreed a new deal that will see him play for St Patrick Athletic for a 13th season.
The development is a boost to the Saints, who recently lost their head coach Stephen O'Donnell two days after winning the FAI Cup, and who are playing catch-up in trying to get squad members signed for next season.
But Chris Forrester has already signed a long term deal and retaining Saints skipper Bermingham, 32, who lifted the Cup at the Aviva Stadium was important to the Inchicore club.
Bermingham said: "It's great to be back for another season, we had a brilliant 2021, winning the FAI Cup and finishing second in the league, and we're looking to build on that in 2022.
"I'm very proud to be going into my 13th year at the club, I've really enjoyed it so far, the supporters and everyone have been a brilliant support to me, it really is a special club and I'm looking forward to another season as a Saint."
Saints manager Alan Mathews added: "We are delighted to have Ian on board with us, his leadership, professionalism and consistency of performance were one of the main drivers in the club having a successful 2021.
"With a squad of some excellent young players, Ian is the perfect role model for them to learn from, and we look forward to building on what we achieved this year in the season ahead."
Meanwhile, Sligo Rovers have held onto defender Shane Blaney, who joined the club last January from Doncaster Rovers - and the 22-year-old vows that the best is yet to come.
Blaney's first year with the Bit O'Red was progressing nicely until injury struck midway through. He returned for the final game of the season as the club secured third place and European football for next summer.
“I’ve absolutely loved it here, so signing back was a very easy decision," said the Donegal man.
"I came from under-23 football in England to here where every result counts for so much and the impact of a win or a defeat is huge. It’s what you want as a player.
"It made getting the injury all the worse. It transpired it was a fracture but I was playing through that for nearly all of the games.
“We just had to sort it out so I did miss all those months. It was a bit of a nightmare in truth but we knew it had to be fixed.
"Nobody has seen the best of me yet. I can’t wait to show it.
"There’s great competition, not just at centre-half, but all over the pitch and if we want to challenge at the top we need that squad."
