Soccer-World Cup winner Durm extends Dortmund deal to 2019

BERLIN, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Borussia Dortmund left back Erik Durm has extended his contract with last season's Bundesliga runners-up by two years to 2019, the club said on Tuesday. Durm was a World Cup winner with Germany in July following a meteoric improvement last season that resulted in a surprise call-up. He had joined Dortmund in 2012 but had to wait for his Bundesliga debut until last August. A string of injuries to starting left back Marcel Schmelzer gave the 22-year-old a lot of playing time last season and the German call-up followed several superb performances in the Champions League. "Erik is a great young man who is firmly on the ground," said Dortmund Sports Director Michael Zorc in a statement. "For us it was always clear that given his development we would sign a long-term deal." (Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Ed Osmond)