Elrich fired up for Phoenix debut
Wellington Phoenix FC marquee signing Ahmad Elrich is relishing the chance to debut for his new club against the Newcastle Jets on Sunday.
The former Fulham and Socceroos midfielder hopes to play a leading role for the Phoenix against the Jets at EnergyAustralia Stadium with five frontline players unavailable for the Wellington club. Tim Brown, Mark Paston, Tony Lochhead, Jeremy Christie and Shane Smeltz are in camp with the All Whites ahead of New Zealand’s World Cup qualifier against Fiji in Auckland on Saturday.
Elrich said the loss of the five All Whites aces was significant, but that their unavailability had opened to door to other players in the strong Phoenix squad.
And he’s keen to try and blow that door off its hinges on Sunday.
“I’m amped about the chance to get out there on the field,” the 26-year-old said. “Whether I start or come on off the bench, that’s the call of the coaching staff, but I’m really happy with how things have gone in training and I’m feeling really good. There’s a great bunch of guys here and I’ve settled in incredibly well. Competition for places in the team is pretty intense and I’ve been working hard to push my claim to play on Sunday.”
The former Premier League player admitted he had been a little short of game time in recent months.
“But physically and mentally I’m feeling ready to go. You can do all the training but nothing compares to actually getting out on to the pitch and playing. I’m sure that it won’t take me long to get to the level I need to be at.”
Phoenix assistant coach Wayne O’Sullivan, who along with fellow assistant Stu Jacobs is in charge of the team this weekend while head coach Ricki Herbert leads the national team, said he was impressed with Elrich’s progress.
“As Ahmad himself says, nothing replaces actual game time, but he’s worked really hard and done plenty of extra training. He may have the tag of ‘marquee player’ but he’s fitted in perfectly with the culture of the club and has shown his willingness to contribute in every way he can. He’s certainly very much in the frame to play a role this weekend.”
Meanwhile, midfielder Felipe has been named in a preliminary Phoenix squad for the match against Newcastle. The Brazilian suffered a hamstring strain in last weekend’s 2-1 loss to the Queensland Roar after being on the receiving end of several crude tackles. A scan revealed no significant damage to the playmaker’s hamstring, but O’Sullivan and Jacobs are taking a cautious approach.
“We’re assessing Felipe’s condition on a day-by-day basis and we’ll leave the decision about what his role will be at the weekend as long as possible,” O’Sullivan said. “We won’t be taking any risks with him if he’s not 100 per cent.”
The Phoenix have been bolstered by the return of Daniel after the Brazilian missed the match against the Roar after serving out a one-match suspension.
The absence of the All Whites has also resulted in Brazilian defender Cleberson being elevated into the preliminary squad for the clash with the Jets, while under-20 players Jacob Spoonley, Greg Draper and Costa Barbarouses have also been named. Vince Lia is also set to make his first appearance of the Hyundai A-League 2007/08 season for the Phoenix after fully recovering from a nagging thigh strain.
Sunday’s match will be broadcast live on Sky Sport 2 from 6pm.
Wellington Phoenix FC squad: 4. CLEBERSON, 5. Karl DODD, 7. Ross ALOISI (captain), 8. Vaughan COVENY, 10. Michael FERRANTE, 11. DANIEL, 12. Richard JOHNSON, 13. Steven OLD, 14. Steven O’DOR, 15. George PALADINI, 17. Vince LIA, 18. Ahmad ELRICH, 19. Greg DRAPER, 20. Glen MOSS (gk), 21. FELIPE, 22. Royce BROWNLIE, 23. Costa BARBAROUSES, 30. Jacob SPOONLEY (gk). *three to be omitted