Andrew Durante (Melbourne Victory | A-Leagues)

New lease of life? Yeah, he did well and yes, he was given the bird most of the match. Respect for him to taking it all on board. Time to let it go and accept him as a former Captain and player for us. 

I still booed him every time he touched the ball but now that I've cooled off I've had to admit he's had a very good game.

Because he is still a good footballer, just slow

Similar to DeVere, except DeVere isn't quite as good

Seriously?

Yes and our players put no pressure on him while he stood on the ball most times he received it.  In the knock out game against Victory they pressured him and came up with their second goal.

https://www.theroar.com.au/2020/06/11/andrew-durante-on-why-he-left-the-wellington-phoenix-and-his-future-in-football/

interesting:

I had thought he pretty much had this offer at the nix :

You have a degree in sports management. How are you planning on using this in the future? Are you planning on becoming a manager or head coach? I used to think I wanted to head down the path of coaching but the more I’ve dealt with coaches and have seen how difficult the coaching job is I’ve decided to stick away from that aspect of the game. I’m into more of the management side of the game, in terms of football operations, as a sports director type role. This would be in terms of recruitment, recruiting coaches and staff. I’ve got an opportunity here at Western United to move into a role whenever I decide to finish up, so that was one of the other reasons why I decided to come to Western United.

He's been around the Nix organisation a long time, he may have had an insight into how we operate in those fields and decided its not for him or how he'd like to work. Thats not to say the bitumens would be any different but they certainly have more support from the FFA around building their brand plus the phoenix have had a very uncertain future as a club until recently.

I'm not sure it was ever made clear what opportunities there were for Durante at the Phoenix when he retired. 

I'm pretty sure both dome and Dura had talked about it in various interviews, at least that's where I recall hearing it.

There was definitely a standing offer for a backroom role for Dura and the club spent a decent chunk of change sending him overseas in the offseason to upskill too.

pretty easy to break a verbal promise if you have no scruples

At the end of the day he is an Aussie. All the other Aussie ex-Nix players have returned across the ditch. That includes the Kiwi Aussies like Smeltz & Moss. So not that unexpected that at the end of day Durante & whanau, decided to move back to the great parched land.

The list of long serving ex Nix players who have stayed on in Wellington, post their playing days is actually pretty small. Sigmund, Greenacre and Ifill over the hill. Paston? Can't think of any others. Make of that what you will.

well, technically he was a naturalised kiwi - he did obtain citizenship and play for the AW's.

Paston is still in Wellington, his kids play for Island Bay.

Was more talk of the commercial/marketing side at the Phoenix (a role that's had about half a dozen people try their hand at it in as many years) than recruitment/football operations.