The Western Sydney Wanderers are excited to announce the signing of Socceroo Matthew Spiranovic for the 2013/14 Hyundai A-League season.
The Western Sydney Wanderers are excited to announce the signing of Socceroo Matthew Spiranovic for the 2013/14 Hyundai A-League season.
The 193cm defender joins from Qatar having spent the past year with Al Alrabi and will add even more Asian experience to the Wanderers squad following other new signings Brendon Santalab and Dean Heffernan.
Having experienced some of the culture of the Wanderers and hearing about the reputation of the supporter base Spiranovic said he didn-t think twice when the opportunity arose to join.
“I was here for two weeks training with the team and I thoroughly enjoyed my time here, got a bit of a taste for the club and was keen to come back,” he said.
“I-ve heard unbelievable things about the Wanderers fan base and I-m really looking forward to playing in front of such great supporters.
“With almost 16,000 members it-s pretty special for a team that-s only been in the league for a year.”
The Wanderers have kept the core of last season-s Premiership squad while adding quality new signings and Spiranovic believes the team will be fighting for silverware again.
“After the success the Wanderers had last year I hope to help them achieve the same success this season and the fact they-ve qualified for the AFC Champions League is added incentive.
“I-m looking forward to helping them win in Australia and in Asia.”
With three seasons playing in Japan-s J-League with Urawa Red Diamonds before his stint in Qatar, Spiranovic says his experience in some of the toughest leagues in Asia will be crucial for the Wanderers inaugural AFC Champions League campaign.
“I spent three years in Japan playing at a big club in the Urawa Reds.
“I took a lot of good memories and great experience from there and I know what to expect when playing in Asia; the conditions, the football and the players as well.”
Spiranovic spent the majority of his career in the Bundesliga with Nurnberg, including appearances in the UEFA Cup, so this will be the first time the Wanderers- new signing will compete in the Hyundai A-League.
Despite being new to the league Spiranovic insists there will be no problems when it comes to gelling with the team.
“I-ve played with a lot of the boys at previous clubs and in the 2008 Olympic team so knowing the boys is a bonus.
“A competitive squad is what you want with players fighting for spots and I think that-s only going to be a good thing for the Wanderers.”
