German side Schalke say they want their Ghanaian striker Bernard Tekpetey to return to the Bundesliga club after gaining experience in Austria.

The Ghana international has been transferred to Austria side Altach on loan but his contract with Schalke has been extended until June 2020.

The Austria Bundesliga side, who qualified for the Europa League last season by finishing fourth, is where Bernard Tekpetey will gain match practice before the 19-year-old returns to Gelsenkirchen next summer.

“We are convinced of Bernard’s qualities”, said sporting director, Christian Heidel.

“At his age, it’s very important to get as much game time as possible. Therefore, we’ve decided to let him go on loan and look forward to his return.”

Tekpetey joined Schalke in February 2016 from the UniStar Soccer Academy in Ghana.

After 16 games in the Schalke 04 II team, the attacker moved to the first team.

Last year, he featured twice in the Bundesliga and once in the Europa League.