Rest of A-League Transfer (Now with 99% RR - Love your work)
As speculation continues to surround the future of Shane Smeltz and Robbie Fowler at Perth Glory, two of the club's confirmed signings for this season are simply happy to have some security under their belts after a difficult few years.
Goalkeeper Danny Vukovic (Wellington) and defender Evan Berger (Melbourne Victory) may have only arrived in Perth on Tuesday, but the two new recruits are already confident their move west will bring a change of fortune.
For Vukovic, last season was a particularly tough one. After 104 appearances for the Mariners, he was offered a dream two-year contract with Turkish club Konyaspor, only to discover the franchise had too many foreigners on their books as they subsequently let him go without playing a game.
Fortunately for the goalkeeper, who will be 26 next week, Wellington's back-up stopper Reece Crowther had suffered a season-ending injury, allowing Vukovic to head to New Zealand as the back-up to regular keeper Mark Paston.
And when Paston also suffered a serious knee injury, Vukovic was in the right place at the right time to help Wellington make a late charge to the finals last season, even if he'd already signed on for the Glory in 2011-12.
"I actually signed here when I was sitting on the bench at Wellington," said Vukovic on Wednesday.
"It was an opportunity to play first-team football. It was a three-year deal, so a bit of security there and coming back to Australia."
"It was a bit up and down there (last season), has been for the last couple of years with me."
"But I've got the security now ... just can't wait to get started."
Vukovic was coach Ian Ferguson's first signing as he looks to rebuild the side following a poor second-last finish in 2010-11.
But, despite all the controversy at the club in the past month after the release of the Hatt report into the club's functions led to the sacking of football manager Dave Mitchell, Vukovic said there have been no second thoughts.
"You don't know what's true and what's not when you read the media," Vukovic said.
"I don't really tend to read a lot into it, so I sort of take things on face value and wanted to make that opinion up myself."
Like Vukovic, the Glory was an opportunity for regular first-team football for former Victory defender Berger, who was part of Melbourne's championship-winning side in the 1-0 Grand Final win over Adelaide United in 2008-09.
Since then, a series of muscle injuries led to him being sidelined as other players superseded the diminutive Berger for the left-back role.
"It is a little bit frustrating," Berger said.
"I just felt that I could offer their team (Melbourne) a lot but in the end it didn't work out like that."
"As a footballer, you want to be playing regularly. At Melbourne I didn't quite achieve that, but I've got a brilliant opportunity here at Perth and thank Fergie (Ferguson) for showing a bit of faith in me and hopefully I can repay that faith."
In a busy day for news at the club, the Glory were forced to deny a report this morning that Smeltz had signed with the club and, as a result, forced Fowler out.
A club spokesperson said German-born New Zealand native Smeltz had not been officially signed as the club's international marquee player, but even if he was, the Glory could still offer Fowler, last season's marquee, a reduced one-year contract under their salary cap.
Vukovic said he was hopeful Fowler would return to the Hyundai A-League for a third season.
"To play with someone like that would be just a dream come true," he said.
"At the end of my career I'd love to say that I played with someone like Robbie Fowler."
http://au.fourfourtwo.com/News/199656,perez-released-by-mariners.aspx
If Amini was staying, that would make sense, but I doubt he will still be in Aussie next season.
Amini
I reckon he'll be here for another year or so.
I think so too. Dortmund did say some good things about him, but I am sure that CCM are hoping to have him for a season or two as their AMC. He can head off when his is 19.
I reckon the youngster should go to Melbourne. I hear the training facilities over there are O-U-T-S-T-A-N-D-I-N-G
The Adelaide United Football Club has added another exciting young Australian player to its roster for the 2011/12 Hyundai A- League season with the announcement of the signing this morning of midfielder Spase Dilevski on a one year deal. Dilevski�s signing comes on the back of the recent signing of gun forward Bruce Djite yesterday with the pieces of the team for the next season being strategically put together by Coach Rini Coolen.
The 25 year old born in Melbourne, whose adaptability means he can play as a midfielder, right sided defender or right wing-back, started his career as a junior with the Victorian Institute of Sport.
At only fifteen Dilevski was spotted and recruited by Dutch giants, PSV Eindhoven where he played in the youth and reserves teams before moving to England to EPL powerhouse Tottenham Hotspur at nineteen where he played with their reserve team.
Tottenham Hotspur offered him an extension on his contract but he chose to move back to Australia for the first season of the Hyundai A-League in order to get some first team experience and joined the Queensland Roar (now Brisbane Roar)
After two seasons and 33 games for Brisbane he moved to Romania where he has played 80 games for Universitatea Craiova mainly as a midfielder.
He has represented Australia at the 2003 and 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship as well as the 2004 Summer Olympics.
Dilevski who was hotly pursued by several A League clubs decided to make Adelaide his home for next season after meeting coach Rini Coolen and club officials in Adelaide yesterday.
Dlievski�s signing eases the loss of midfielder Adam Hughes who will not continue next season after being unable to agree to terms with the club.
Players Name: Spase Dilevski
Date of Birth: 13 May 1985
Born: Melbourne, Australia
Height: 1.8m or 5ft 11 in
Playing Career
Youth Career
2001-2003 PSV Eindhoven
Senior Career
2003-2004 PSV Eindhoven
2003-2004 Rott-Weiss Essen (on loan)
2005-2007 Brisbane Roar 33 games
2007-2011 Universitatea Craiova � 80 games
National Team Career
2001 Australian Under 17 � 9 games
2002-2005 Australian Under 20 � 18 games
2004-2008 Australian Under 23 � 20 games
After the way he played in the grand final, im not sure I would have him for us. He seemed to be a bit of a flat track bully, scoring when the Roar are dominating, but when they were struggling he went missing.
A German contact tells me Robbie Kruse has signed a 3-year deal with Fortuna Dusseldorf (2nd Division Bundesliga)
A German contact tells me Robbie Kruse has signed a 3-year deal with Fortuna Dusseldorf (2nd Division Bundesliga)
its on a-league website now
Sign here, Sydney urges Rufer's son
"Outside of being a privately owned club, the Phoenix haven't delivered as a place to develop and nurture young New Zealand talent. Any talent they have uncovered has been quickly lost because they don't foster and cherish those whose hearts are dedicated to New Zealand.
Just ask Marco Rojas, Kosta Barbarouses, Shane Smeltz and Glen Moss.
Instead, the mantra at the club is to champion (often second-rate) talent from abroad"
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-news/sport/4841703/NZF-silence-strikes-bum-note-for-Terryaitkenmike2011-04-03 11:06:11
Agreed (apart from the whole me being a smart guy thing - thats obviously untrue)
Agreed (apart from the whole me being a smart guy thing - thats obviously untrue)
Hah, fair enough - I just added that bit in brackets afterward because the original post could have been taken the wrong way.
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Have not seen a Smeltz signing yet hence he wouldn't be in the poll.