Former Northampton captain Chris Doig is on his way to Bluetongue Stadium after agreeing to a two-year deal at the Central Coast Mariners.
The 28-year-old central defender is the Mariners’ first significant signing of the off-season after the club unsuccessfully competed in the group stages of the AFC Asian Champions League.
Doig completed a medical for the Mariners in the United Kingdom after his contract expired at Northampton and was not renewed, the Cobblers looking to rebuild following their relegation to League Two this season.
“Chris comes highly respected from plenty of good judges in the UK,” said Mariners’ coach Lawrie McKinna.
“I’ve seen a DVD of him and he has great presence in the box, a solid left-footed stopper, but he’s also a solid professional, and I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do in the Hyundai A-League.”
“We are still looking at bringing in some more new faces, but as I’ve said before, they have to be better than what we have already got.”
“We’ll sort through some CVs over the next couple of weeks while the boys are on holiday, and we should have some more lads on board before the squad gets back.”
The former Scotland Under-21s representative has played 232 competitive matches in England-s top three divisions, along with a short stint at Scottish club Queen of the South as a youngster.
Doig played 93 matches for Nottingham Forest, making his debut in a Premier League clash with Manchester United. But following a loan spell at Northampton in 2003, he shifted permanently to Sixfields ahead of the 2005-06 season, making 130 appearances for the club.
