With his contract otherwise set to expire this summer, VfL Osnabrück captain Joe Enochs is signing on for a one-year extension as the promoted club prepares for the 2.Bundesliga.

The 36-year old organizing midfielder has been with the club for 11 years, and has weathered life in Germany's second division twice before. After all of his many years clad in purple, it was community devotion that spurred the former San Francisco United player on to keep playing for the team.

"I have been very fortunate that I have been able to play so long for a club like Osnabrück," Enochs told American Soccer Daily. "There is just something special about the club."

"We are definitely not the most successful club or most popular, but we have something here that not many clubs in Germany have. It seems that the city is built around the club and when we are successful there is a certain pride in the people here, not just the fans."

The city of Osnabrück, with a population of more than 160,000, is Lower Saxony's third largest. Much of the populace follows the club near to religiously, rain or shine.

"It is tough to explain, but I think I have based my decisions in the past taking this fact very much into consideration," Enochs added. "There are other teams in the third division that pay much more than Osnabrück, but don't have this flair."