Papua New Guinea international Patrick Aisa will be making the move to New Zealand shores for the 2017-18 ISPS Handa Premiership, set to kick off in October.
Hamilton Wanderers coach Ricki Herbert confirmed last Friday that Aisa will be on board for the club’s second New Zealand Premiership campaign.
The 23-year-old – who has made six impressive appearances for the Papua New Guinea national team – caught the eye of Herbert when they worked together during his coaching stint with the Papua New Guinea U-23 national team in 2015.
“He’s an attacking-type player – he can play wide, he can play in behind a striker,” Herbert said.
“He’s a new face, something different, and I’m delighted that he’s keen to come to the club and hook up that player-coach relationship that we had.”
Unlike many of his Kapul teammates, Aisa wasn’t born into a family of football, but was eager to try to pave his own unique pathway in sport and try it out.
“In my family there is no other brother or sister playing soccer, it’s just me, myself,” he said.
“I just wanted to be different in my family.
“I chose football just to be different and I was surprised I was quite good at it. I just want to keep trying to do better and better.”
The 2017-18 ISPS Handa Premiership is set to start in October, and will feature the same 10 teams as last season.