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Melbourne Heart Sign Socceroo Dean Heffernan From Central Coast Mariners
It's another coup for the new franchise.
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Nov 26, 2009 5:03:43 AM
Central Coast Mariners defender Dean Heffernan has announced he will leave the club at the end of the season season for new A-League franchise the Melbourne Heart.
He follows in the footsteps of Adelaide United midfielder Kristian Sarkies and Newcastle Jets captain Matt Thompson, who also joined this week.
Heffernan is one of eight foundation players still at the Mariners and spent just a season on loan in at Bundesliga club Nurnberg during his time in Gosford.
“When Dean first told us he was in negotiations with the new franchise we were obviously very disappointed,” Mariners Executive Chairman Lyall Gorman said.
“To lose a player of Dean’s calibre is going to be a loss, but it is a great opportunity for him and we certainly wouldn’t stand in the way of a player looking to advance their career.
“Dean has been a great ambassador for the club both on and off the field, and we wish him the very best for the future.
“The club, as I’m sure Dean is, is now really looking forward to the remainder of the season, where we believe we have a great opportunity to be successful."
The now 29-year-old has racked up 77 competitive appearances, 59 of those coming in the A-League, scoring 10 goals along the way.
After setting up home on the Central Coast over the past five years, Heffernan admits the decision was anything but easy.
“It’s been a while thinking about this one," Heffernan said. "I see it as a fresh start, a new challenge, and a good opportunity to start with a new franchise and see if we can build the club up to be a good A-League side for the future.
“Because of this group of boys, there’s been a lot of them here since the beginning and now with the new boys, it’s going to be even harder to leave than it was in the first year.
“It’s not finished yet, there’s a long way to go this season, and we all think we’re a really good chance of silverware, so I’m not going to think too much about Melbourne Heart until after the Grand Final now.
“They [the fans] supported me even when I broke my leg, and had a few quiet games coming back from injury. They’ve always been there to support, so I want to thank them for that, and hopefully give them a Grand Final [win] before a couple of us leave.”
Get all the Australian football coverage you need on the Goal.com Australia homepage!
He follows in the footsteps of Adelaide United midfielder Kristian Sarkies and Newcastle Jets captain Matt Thompson, who also joined this week.
Heffernan is one of eight foundation players still at the Mariners and spent just a season on loan in at Bundesliga club Nurnberg during his time in Gosford.
“When Dean first told us he was in negotiations with the new franchise we were obviously very disappointed,” Mariners Executive Chairman Lyall Gorman said.
“To lose a player of Dean’s calibre is going to be a loss, but it is a great opportunity for him and we certainly wouldn’t stand in the way of a player looking to advance their career.
“Dean has been a great ambassador for the club both on and off the field, and we wish him the very best for the future.
“The club, as I’m sure Dean is, is now really looking forward to the remainder of the season, where we believe we have a great opportunity to be successful."
The now 29-year-old has racked up 77 competitive appearances, 59 of those coming in the A-League, scoring 10 goals along the way.
After setting up home on the Central Coast over the past five years, Heffernan admits the decision was anything but easy.
“It’s been a while thinking about this one," Heffernan said. "I see it as a fresh start, a new challenge, and a good opportunity to start with a new franchise and see if we can build the club up to be a good A-League side for the future.
“Because of this group of boys, there’s been a lot of them here since the beginning and now with the new boys, it’s going to be even harder to leave than it was in the first year.
“It’s not finished yet, there’s a long way to go this season, and we all think we’re a really good chance of silverware, so I’m not going to think too much about Melbourne Heart until after the Grand Final now.
“They [the fans] supported me even when I broke my leg, and had a few quiet games coming back from injury. They’ve always been there to support, so I want to thank them for that, and hopefully give them a Grand Final [win] before a couple of us leave.”
Get all the Australian football coverage you need on the Goal.com Australia homepage!
| Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
|
| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £100 in free bets! |
|
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
| Sign up with Paddy Power for a free bet up to £50 |
|
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