Soccer-Mitroglou signs new deal with Olympiakos

By Graham Wood ATHENS, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Kostas Mitroglou has put an end to speculation over his future by signing a new contract with Greek champions Olympiakos Piraeus which ties him to the club until 2017. The 25-year-old striker is enjoying the form of his life after notching up 14 goals in 10 Super League matches - including three hat-tricks, as well as becoming the first Greek player to score a hat-trick in the Champions League with a treble at Anderlecht in October. Mitroglou had been linked with a transfer window move to the English Premier League with Arsenal and Liverpool potential suitors, but he has opted to pen a new contract which will take his annual earnings to a reported 1.3 million euros. "I'm really happy to be renewing once again my collaboration with the team of my heart," Mitroglou told the Olympiacos website. "I want to thank Olympiakos and the President Mr. Vangelis Marinakis, who from the first moment embraced me and showed me how to believe that I can achieve what I never even dreamed of. "I feel that with the direction this club is going I am building a great career, something I wanted as a child." "This club really is like a family and I want to bring even more moments of glory with my hard work and hopefully lots more goals," he added. There is no doubt that the Olympiakos frontman is the new darling of the Greek fans and a player who has finally come of age after a frustrating few seasons playing second fiddle at club and international level. Mitroglou, who was brought to Olympiakos from Borussia Moenchengladbach's youth set-up in 2007, has scored 41 goals in 84 appearances for Olympiakos and is affectionately known as "Mitrogoal" and "Pistolero" by his club's fanatical fans for his gun-toting goal celebrations. As well as his goals for his club, Mitroglou has also now firmly established himself as first choice striker for Greece, scoring crucial goals as Fernando Santos's team qualified for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil via victory over Romania in a two-legged playoff in November. (Editing by Martyn Herman)