Nelson Rivas was the first player signed by the Montreal Impact in MLS in 2011, and he will remain with the club at least one more season.

The club announced Friday that the defender signed a new contract with the Impact. Per MLS policy, details of the deal were not disclosed.

Rivas, 30, missed all of the 2013 regular season with a knee injury that required surgery. He did play in Montreal's lone playoff game last season, somewhat surprisingly getting the starting nod in a 3-0 loss to the Houston Dynamo.

The Colombian played 11 regular-season games in his first season with the Impact, 2012. Prior to joining the team, he played at a number of clubs in Europe and South America, including Italian giants Inter Milan and Argentine powerhouse River Plate.

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"We are extremely happy to have Nelson back next season," said sporting director Nick De Santis in a statement. "After the retirement of Alessandro Nesta, it was important to have another center back on the roster. We know he has not played a lot in his first two seasons but he has been healthy for months now. We have to do everything in our power to help him stay healthy going forward."

"Nelson is still at a good age and is a player with power and strength," added De Santis. "He also brings that intimidation factor on the field. He is very motivated and wants to prove that we have not made a mistake by signing him and that he can be a very good player in MLS."