Another PlayStation 4 NPL player has been snapped up by a Hyundai A-League club with Wellington Phoenix signing Dylan Fox from NSW Men's 1 champions Bonnyrigg White Eagles.
The 21-year-old central defender has been trialling with the Phoenix for the past 10 days and Head Coach Ernie Merrick saw enough during that time to offer him a two-year contract.
“For a 21-year-old Dylan impressed me as a very mature centre back type of player,” Merrick said.
“He is 186cm tall, fast, technically good and knows how to tackle.
“Bonnyrigg coach Brian ‘bomber’ Brown recommended him to me and while trialling with us Dylan improved every day.
“He demonstrated to me that he would be a very good back up for Dura and Siggy.
“For a big lad he is surprisingly quick and will have no problem adjusting to the demands of the A-League.”
Fox, who played his junior football with the Sutherland Sharks before having two seasons at Bonnyrigg described the move as a dream come true.
“I was on holiday in Melbourne with my girlfriend Sophie when I got the call offering me a trial,” Fox said.
“It took me by surprise and I was a bit nervous when I got to Wellington, but I needn’t have worried as the Phoenix boys were really welcoming.”
Asked how he saw his job as a central defender Fox said he liked to “keep it simple and just do my job."
Fox's signing reinforces the PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues as the second tier of Australian football and the breeding ground of professional players, completing the player development pathway from the grass roots to the A-League by giving talented players the opportunity to achieve their dreams and reach their potential.
From the time the NPL began, one of its underlying purposes was to create a stepping stone for players aspiring to go from NPL teams to landing an A-League contract, and Fox is the latest evidence of this.