Adelaide United pair Apostolos Stamatelopoulos and Isaac Richards have signed senior contracts with the Hyundai A-League club.
The Reds confirmed the announcement on Thursday and said the duo, who were previously on youth scholarship deals, had “been rewarded for their increasing potential and continuous hard work”.
Stamatelopoulos has made nine Hyundai A-League appearances for Adelaide, scoring two goals.
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One of those came in a man-of-the-match performance against the Central Coast Mariners in Round 3 of the 2018/19 Season, where he added an assist and won three votes in the Alex Tobin Medal count.
The young forward – who has represented Australia at Under-19 level – said he was delighted to have upgraded his deal.
“It’s a great feeling to have signed with the Club after signing my scholarship last season,” Stamatelopoulos said.
“At the moment I have a good chance to play some more A-League games and I’m doing everything I can to make the most of them.
Congrats to @ApostolosStama and Isaac Richards for being promoted to senior contracts with #AUFC!! 🎉🔴
📰 Read more: https://t.co/emJWW2F2Xi pic.twitter.com/TAyEexnyt1
— Adelaide United (@AdelaideUnited) November 15, 2018
“There’s still a lot I can improve on and I’m determined to keep working hard, scoring more goals, and contributing as much as possible.”
Shot-stopper Richards is yet to make a Hyundai A-League appearance but the 19-year-old is highly rated and impressed in the NPL SA season, winning the Goalkeeper of the Year award.