The Tampa Bay Rowdies announced on Tuesday club captain and forward Sebastian Guenzatti had re-signed with the club for the USL Championship season. The signing is pending league and federation approval.

Guenzatti, who lived in Queens, N.Y. after emigrating from Uruguay, played for the New York Cosmos in the North American Soccer League from 2013-16.

Voted to the USL Championship’s All-League first team for the first time in his career in 2021, Guenzatti has been a key piece in the Rowdies claiming the league’s Eastern Conference title the past two seasons.

“I’m so excited to be back home and looking forward to another year here in Tampa Bay,” Guenzatti said in a statement. “Like always, we’ll leave everything out there on the field to put this club in a great position again. We’ve created a very good group, a family. The new guys coming in, I know they’re going to do a great job as well. The coaches have done a great job picking all the guys for this year.”

Guenzatti, 30, has made 125 appearances for the Rowdies since joining the club in the 2017 season, placing him third in the club’s history. He was named captain prior to the 2019 season. Over the past three campaigns, Guenzatti has recorded 51 goals in the regular season and playoffs, the most of any player in that span, while also recording 14 assists in 88 appearances.

“Seba has been pivotal in all the success this team has had over the previous two seasons,” Rowdies head coach Neill Collins said in a statement. “It would be easy to just forget how hard he has worked to make it possible. It is this work ethic that encapsulates everything it should mean to play for the Rowdies. Hard work, team first, and a never say die mentality. I am delighted that Seba will continue to lead this team on and off the field for the future.”

Guenzatti enjoyed a career-year in 2021, leading the Rowdies with 22 goals, surpassing his own season club record of 19 goals in 2019. With 58 total goals since joining the Rowdies, Guenzatti is only three away from surpassing Georgi Hristov as the club’s all-time leading scorer.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.