Ufuk Talay has continued the rebuild of his Wellington Phoenix squad with the signing of former Western Sydney Wanderers attacker Jaushua Sotirio.
Sotirio, 23, has penned a one-year deal with the New Zealand club after completing his contract with the Wanderers in May.
The Australia U23 international made his Hyundai A-League debut in 2013 with the Red and Black and made 81 appearances in total, scoring 11 goals.
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A versatile attacker, Sotirio adds firepower to a Phoenix forward line still reeling from the departures of Johnny Warren Medal-winner Roy Krishna and fellow forward David Williams.
He is Talay’s third signing as Wellington boss, having acquired the services of All Whites gloveman Stefan Marinovic and Young Socceroos fullback Walter Scott last week.
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Wellington have seen 11 players depart in total in the off-season, including talismanic captain and defender Andrew Durante, who announced he was leaving on Tuesday.
“Jaushua brings in that experience, having been involved with Wanderers in the AFC Champions League, but he is also still very hungry to improve and succeed,” Phoenix boss Talay told the club’s official website.
“I’m looking to bring in players that work hard and aim to continually raise their game and Jaushua fits that bill.”
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“I have spent most of my career in Sydney so it was time for a change and a new challenge and Wellington represents the perfect opportunity to prove what I can do,” Sotirio said.
“There’s some really exciting young players at the club and I believe we can create something special in Wellington.”
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