Experienced Belgian centre back Pieter Collen has signed for Brisbane Roar until the end of the season.
Collen, 29, who has spent the past 12 years playing top-flight football in Belgium and the Netherlands, will add experience to a Roar backline which lost skipper Craig Moore just before the New Year.
“I have played UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup and have two (Belgium) caps, one friendly and one European Cup qualification match,” Collen said on his arrival to Brisbane.
“So I hope to bring some experience and good organisation in the back.”
“I think the most important thing is to get a good defensive line and don’t concede any more goals.”
Collen spent time at Feyenoord with Australian Brett Emerton and is looking forward of getting a taste of top-flight Australian football.
“Everything looks good, Brisbane looks nice and I saw the (Suncorp) stadium and it looks really big,” he said.
“(But) I cannot get a good impression of the level from outside, and I don-t know any of the players, so that-s a little bit difficult.”
“But I’ll get that soon enough because tomorrow is first training and then it shouldn-t be a problem.”
Roar coach Ange Postecoglou said the timing of the signing was ideal.
“We knew during this time we-d obviously be down in numbers and we knew there was going to be two or three departures,” he said.
“Pieter ticked most of the boxes we were after, he brings to the table the experience we were after, he’s got the pedigree and he plays in a position where we-re really thin at the moment.”
“We also wanted somebody who was keen to come here and were ambitious, and Pieter showed all those qualities.”
Meanwhile, Perth defender Chris Coyne has flown to China to discuss a possible move to Super League side Shandong Luneng.
The club confirmed on Monday that Coyne, who is attempting to secure more playing time ahead of the World Cup, had left Perth to discuss his future in China.
