SANDY — Since joining Real Salt Lake during the 2007 season, midfielder Kyle Beckerman has become the face of the franchise.
And RSL intends to keep it that way.
It has been a poorly kept secret, but it became official Thursday when the team announced a contract extension with Beckerman that will keep the team captain in Salt Lake through the 2013 season.
"I am really excited to know that I am going to be here awhile," said Beckerman. "I think we started something special three years ago when I first got here, and of course, it kind of culminated last season with winning the title, but it is nice to know that I am going to be a part of what I think could really be a long run."
Real Salt Lake thinks it could be a good run as well by locking up Beckerman — as it has done previously with Javier Morales, Fabian Espindola, Chris Wingert and Jamison Olave.
"Kyle has been instrumental in changing the competitive landscape for this organization since his midseason 2007 arrival," said RSL general manager Garth Lagerwey in a press release. "His leadership in the locker room and each and every day in the training sessions have been clearly evident, contributing to the back-to-back playoff runs and obviously to our Cup victory. We are thrilled that he has bought into our 'Team is the Star' mantra, and will be wearing a Real Salt Lake uniform — and hopefully hauling in more hardware — in the foreseeable future."
Beckerman joined RSL via trade with the Colorado Rapids during the 2007 MLS season. While with RSL's Rocky Mountain Cup rivals he was reviled by the fans, but since being acquired, he quickly became revered.
"I know that when I was with Colorado, the fans here always seemed great, albeit it was going against us," Beckerman said. "I knew that the best way to win over the fans was to start winning."
His hard-nosed, never-say-die playing style obviously makes him one of those players that fans love to hate when on an opposing team, but get him within the fold, and he is quickly endeared.
"I just wanted to go out and put out a full effort and I knew that if I did that, things would work out."
The reggae-listening 27-year-old first joined the league in 2000 with the now defunct Miami Fusion. He has since seen his career go more than a decade and 200 games.
"When I first started, I just wanted to work hard and try to find a way on the field," added Beckerman. "I figured that if I worked hard and kept making myself better as a player all the time that I would have a chance to play, but I must admit, I never really expected it to go the way it has."
Beckerman played in the MLS All-Star game last year at Rio Tinto Stadium, and the popular dreadlocked, fan-favorite has adorned much of the club's marketing campaign posters and advertisements.
"It is definitely surreal," said Beckerman. "It is something I had to get used to. It has kind of been fun, though. It really was kind of strange to see me all over the place at first, but I have kind of started getting used to it.
"I have had a lot of people that come up to me and tell me how they have been season-ticket holders since the first season and didn't just jump on the bandwagon," he added.
As per RSL policy, financial terms of the deal were not officially released, but it is believed to be in the $300,000-per-year range, a significant raise from the $163,150 he made last year according to the MLS Players Union.
"I love it here now," Beckerman said. "It is a beautiful place, clean, and there is definitely a pulse of soccer in the city. I can't always say in the other two cities that it was that way, so I am really happy to be here and be a part of the team and community."
E-mail: mblack@desnews.com