Pienaar's Sunderland deal could be his last

Cape Town - Veteran midfielder Steven Pienaar's one-year deal with Sunderland could be his last in England as a Premier League player.

This is after the player's representatives, On Target, revealed that the midfielder's contract with the Black Cats included no options to extend his deal.

In addition, 'Schillo' will be 35 years old when his contract with Sunderland comes to an end - an age at which few wide midfielders ever really thrive in England's top flight.

Nonetheless, the player's representatives are delighted that the former Bafana Bafana international will have at least one more season to prove his value in arguably the best league in the world. 

On Target's Lance Davids, himself a former Bafana Bafana international, told Soccer Laduma: "We are happy for him and judging by his performance on the weekend (Pienaar made his debut for the club in a 2-1 loss to Middlesbrough), Steven proved that he still has what it takes to play top-flight football." 

The news that Pienaar has no options to renew his deal with Sunderland could see the player make a return to South Africa at the end of 2016/17. The former Everton star was heavily linked with a move to either Mamelodi Sundowns or Orlando Pirates in the off-season.