The Wellington Phoenix have fended off the advances of other A-League clubs to keep Paul Ifill at the club for another two years and now attention is turning to other key players coach Ricki Herbert is keen to retain.
Manny Muscat, Mark Paston, Chris Greenacre, Vince Lia and Daniel are long-term Phoenix players whose contracts finish at the end of the current A-League season.
Captain Andrew Durante has an option to extend a year beyond this current season and is already in negotiations with the club about remaining in the New Zealand capital more long-term.
Greenacre has been open about his desire to stay at the Phoenix and it seems Herbert is keen to keep the veteran striker, who has also taken on an assistant coaching role this season.
“I think Chris would be a valuable asset for the club whether he’s coming off the bench, playing or he’s involved in some coaching capacity as well,” said the Wellington coach.
“I’d be delighted to have him here.”
“We’ve got a number of players coming off contract this year. We just need to work through that in a timely and professional way.”
“A couple that we’ve spoken to are happy but at the end of the day they’ve got to make that call.”
Herbert was confident the resignation of club chief executive Nathan Greenham, who will leave on January 20 after failing to agree terms with new owners Welnix to stay on, will not have a negative impact on any negotiations.
“It’s really just having a budget and then moving when it’s right to move,” said Herbert.
“I think now it’s about locking in the long-term future for the club.”
“Paul has signed for a couple of years and I think most players we sign now will be two or three-year contracts. That’s the vision that the new owners want.”
