SAN DIEGO – San Diego Loyal SC announced on Wednesday it had signed Jack Blake to a two-year contract extension that will keep the English midfielder with the club through the 2023 USL Championship season.

The club announced the deal 13 games into Blake’s first season with SD Loyal. The 27-year-old leads the team in scoring with four goals in 13 games – all starts – and has three assists. He has played 1,104 minutes out of 1,170 minutes so far.

The captain of the USL Championship Final-winning Real Monarchs SLC side in 2019, Blake has been a welcome addition to SD Loyal after his offseason move to California. A native of Nottingham, England, Blake has recorded 15 goals and nine assists in 74 regular-season games in the Championship during his career, including seven goals from beyond the penalty area, putting him tied for fifth in the league in long-range finishes since the start of the 2018 season.

“Having an organization like San Diego Loyal commit to me for the long-term future is a very special feeling and I’m very grateful,” Blake said. “It is a club destined for success with the power behind the fan base and the high-quality coaching we receive on a daily basis. It’s an easy decision for me. I want to be part of an organization that strives to be the best at everything, whether it’s cleaning the opposing team’s locker rooms after a road game or winning championships.

“The fan base here is absolutely incredible, like nothing I’ve seen before. They really push each and every one of us from the very start to the dying minutes of every game. We are building something special here and I want to share that success with the fans.”

Blake has quickly become an integral part of SD Loyal EVP of Soccer Operations and Manager Landon Donovan’s system and has gone on to become a force in the SD Loyal attack. He was originally signed in December as one of the club’s first off-season acquisitions.

“One of our core values at SD Loyal is commitment,” said Donovan. “We are committed to our community, our fans, to our staff and to our players. Jack Blake has shown his commitment in return, and we are delighted that he will be part of our club for years to come. He is a great professional on and off the field and we are very lucky to have him.”