Western United have confirmed leading goalscorer Noah Botic has joined Austrian giants Austria Wien.
Botic has signed a three-year deal following the expiration of his contract with Western in the Isuzu UTE A-League.
Western will be “rewarded for the significant part they have played in Botic’s training and development as a footballer” after he returned from Europe to link up with the Green and Black in 2021.
CLICK HERE TO HEAD TO THE ISUZU UTE A-LEAGUE TRANSFER CENTRE
Austria Wien – 24-time Austrian Bundesliga champions – withstood interest from Germany to lure the Socceroos hopeful from Western, where he enjoyed a breakout season with 16 goals in 29 matches, including an historic hat-trick against Adelaide United in the Elimination Final as he became the youngest Isuzu UTE A-League player to score three goals in a finals fixture.
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“After spending the past four years at this amazing club, it is hard to say goodbye,” said Botic, “The amount of love and kindness I have received has been through the roof, and I will miss everyone.
“The club has meant the world to me as it was the first, and still only, professional club that I’ve played for.
“I want to thank everyone, from the background staff to the team staff and players. They’ve all had a big impact on my time at the club and I’m truly grateful for that. But I especially want to thank the boss for giving me the opportunity to have made my debut and help me properly kick start my career.”
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Botic departs Tarneit as the club’s all-time leading scorer with 27 goals in 27 appearances.
He scored 12 goals in the 2024-25 regular season, missing out on a share of the Golden Boot by one.
Western United general manager of football Mal Impiombato added: “We are extremely proud of Noah for all of the hard work he has put in to developing his game and earning another dream move overseas.
“Noah is cemented in our history books forever for his achievements and the role he has played in our best-ever season in club history. His talent on the pitch has been met with an incredible impact on our standards and culture off the pitch.
“This is also a major milestone for our club to send a player off to a top European league. The club is proud of the role it has played to get Noah to this point in his career and we have firm beliefs that we have developed our next Socceroo.
“On behalf of everyone at our club, I would like to thank Noah for the indelible mark he has left on Western United and wish him every success in the future. We will be watching and celebrating every achievement from afar.”
CLICK HERE TO HEAD TO THE ISUZU UTE A-LEAGUE TRANSFER CENTRE
Botic will become the third Australian in the Austrian Bundesliga next season, joining former Macarthur Bulls star Jed Drew and ex-Perth Glory youngster Jacob Italiano, who play for TSV Hartberg and Grazer AK respectively.
The Aussie young gunalso joins a growing list of Australians to play for Austria Wien, including James Holland, James Jeggo and Joey Didulica, while 19-year-old former Melbourne Victory midfielder George Mihailidis is currently in their youth ranks.
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Austria Wien finished third in the league last season, just three points off champions Sturm Graz for their best league finish since the 2016-17 campaign. They also reached the semi-finals of the Austrian Cup.
“Noah is a young striker who is already very complete and has a great eye for goal, as his last season in Australia proves,” said sporting director Manuel Ortlechner.
“He has a great attitude, is determined to make it into the national team and wants to establish himself here in Europe. From the very first contact, it was clear to him that he definitely wanted to come to Austria Wien, which impressed us greatly.
“On top of that, we prevailed against competition from Germany, which is also gratifying. We are delighted to have signed Noah!”
Featured image: Austria Wien
