Wellington Phoenix’ latest signing Nathan Burns wasted no time going on the front foot when he landed in Wellington on Tuesday afternoon.
Wellington Phoenix- latest signing Nathan Burns wasted no time going on the front foot when he landed in Wellington on Tuesday afternoon.
Speaking to media minutes after getting off his flight from Sydney Burns was asked by a radio journalist what made him join the Phoenix as “they aren-t a strong side”.
“We are going to make it a strong side,” Burns stated calmly.
“There are some really good players here and I want to play a part in making the team better.
“We will be a top six team and capable of pushing higher.”
Burns also made it plain that coach Ernie Merrick played a big role in getting him to the club.
“The A League is very attractive right now and is getting better every year,” he said.
“Ernie was very convincing about what he wanted to achieve and how he wanted to do it.
“The style of football he wants the team to play is the way I like to play and I have always admired the way he coaches.
“He is very calm and relaxed on the bench which suits me because I don-t like coaches who are always yelling at the players on game day.
“They (coaches) have all week to prepare the team and on game day they have to let the footballers play.
“If they have to spend the 90 minutes yelling it means they haven-t done their job during the week.
“Players have told me that Ernie-s training sessions are good and intense and that is what I like.”
Burns can-t wait to start training as he is short of match practice after a spell at Korean club Incheon was disrupted by what he described as a “complicated club situation”.
The striker had a loan spell with Newcastle Jets in the A-League last season but has since been restricted to trial matches in Japan.
“I-m looking forward to getting back into training and getting some good pre-season matches under my belt,” he said.
“Playing West Ham and Newcastle United is going to be exciting and I want to be ready for those games.”
