Stuttgart's Mario Gomez voted Bundesliga's top player of the last season

Germany striker Mario Gomez, who helped Stuttgart to the Bundesliga title, has been voted the league's top player of the last season in a poll of sports writers.

Photo: Stuttgart's Mario Gomez voted Bundesliga's top player of the last season

Gomez scored 14 goals and became the first Stuttgart player to earn the title since Juergen Klinsmann in 1988. Gomez got 196 votes in the poll, published Wednesday by Kicker magazine.

Second place went to Werder Bremen's playmaker Diego with 175 votes, ahead of Bernd Schneider of Bayer Leverkusen with 156.

Stuttgart's Armin Veh was voted coach of the season.

The new Bundesliga season kicks off Friday with Stuttgart playing against last season's runner-up Schalke, reports AP.

According to Sporting Life, Mario Gomez has signed a one-year extension to his contract with Stuttgart, committing himself to the club until 2012.

The news was announced on Monday night at a meeting of club members in Stuttgart.

"By extending his contract by one year, Mario has clearly shown that he thinks of no other club than Stuttgart," said general manager Horst Heldt.

"Despite the interest from several foreign clubs in the last few weeks, Mario has never considered a transfer."