It's been a busy 24 hours for the Wellington Phoenix with news of a second player signing in as many days.
Central Coast Mariners defender Antony Golec has joined the New Zealand A-League club for the remainder of the current season.
The 28-year-old Australian is a veteran of the competition, having played 90 games in a decade long career.
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Golec started his career at Sydney United before continuing his youth development at Sydney FC where he made his Hyundai A-League debut.
After making a string of appearances for the Sydney club, he moved to Adelaide United under the stewardship of Rini Coolen.
Golec then moved to Western Sydney Wanderers and played a pivotal role in their AFC Champions League win and FIFA Club World Cup campaign, in which they finished fifth.
After a two-year stay at Central Coast Mariners, Golec decided it was the right time to move on.
"I have been watching Wellington Phoenix and believe it's the most exciting team in the competition," Golec says.
"Having spoken to Mark (Rudan), I was impressed with the mental toughness and togetherness of the squad and I wanted to bring my Hyundai A-League experience into it.
"I believe in what Mark is doing here and I want be a big part of it and do my best to help this club be successful again.
"He (Rudan) has created a team of leaders and I believe we can definitely reach the finals this year.
"I am very excited to get started and can't wait to make New Zealand my new home."
Head Coach Rudan is delighted to have an experienced head to cover the outstanding defensive pairing of Steven Taylor and Andrew Durante.
"Antony has been very successful in his career, not many can boast winning the Asian Champions League," Rudan notes.
"His experience winning trophies at club level will be fundamental in our plans for progression towards the finished product."
Rudan pinpointed competition as a big factor within his squad.
"As I've said before, competition within my squad is extremely important and recruiting players like Antony will push the playing squad to guarantee our performance is kept at an optimum level."
Golec will wear Number 12 and could make an appearance for his new club this Saturday at midnight (NZT) against Perth Glory.
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