Louis Fenton

Louis Fenton is a 28-year-old Kiwi-born defender, who is entering his ninth season with the Wellington Phoenix. He is seventh all-time in Club appearances with 137 matches and has scored nine A-League goals during his Phoenix career. > History Wellington-born Fenton grew up in Tawa, playing for Tawa College and Tawa AFC before heading abroad for a brief stint in the Victorian Premier League with clubs St Albans Saints and Melbourne Knights. After signing with the Nix for the 2012/13 season, Fenton scored on his senior professional debut in an A-League match against Sydney FC on 6 October 2012 with a spectacular diving header. After stints with Team Wellington and the Melbourne Knights in 2017/18, Fenton re-joined the Phoenix for the 2018–19 A-League season and has been with the squad ever since. Fenton also has international experience, representing New Zealand under 20s at the 2013 OFC U-20 Championship in Fiji. He was voted the player of the tournament as he helped the team qualify for the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey. Fenton made his debut for the senior team on the 20 November 2013, coming on as a substitute in the second leg of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying playoff against Mexico. In total he has made 19 appearances for the NZ National Team and scored eight goals. > 2020/21 Season In 23 appearances this season (included 18 starts), Fenton scored two goals and registered two assists. He scored the 500th goal in Phoenix history on 18 April 2021, in the team’s 3-1 away win against Perth Glory. Fenton says that while it was a tough campaign for the squad, it also helped to bond the squad. “This season was a lot different for me compared to others, I’ve never had to experience having to move away from friends and family to play for the Nix, it’s made a lot of the boys closer – we didn’t have those friends and family around so we spend a lot more time together,” says Fenton. “We definitely bonded as a team; we showed a lot of fight and you could see that on the field, especially coming from behind a lot of times and scoring late in games.” > 2021/22 Season The 2021/22 season will mark Fenton’s ninth campaign with the Phoenix, tying with Alex Rufer for most seasons by a current Wellington player. Louis says that re-signing for the Phoenix is a proud moment for him. Fenton says he is looking forward to next season. “It’s very exciting for me the way we finished last season, very positive and there’s a lot to build on. “Missing out on the Finals last season has just made me hungrier for success – the boys have already said that the goal next season is not just to play finals football but to win it all and I’m the same, it’s all about getting the wins and seeing how far we can go.”