The 19-year-old recently returned from Turkey where he took part in the FIFA U-20 World Cup and has also previously competed internationally at U-17 level.
The offer to train and trial with Thistle came through Scott Allison who twice visited Basalaj’s Lower Hutt City club while scouting for Glasgow Rangers.
Allison was keen to take the young keeper to Rangers, but at that time the club’s financial difficulties prevented it from signing new players and the opportunity went by the way.
However the 19-year-old is now being offered a second chance and is excited by the challenge ahead, saying his time with the Wellington Phoenix Football School of Excellence has prepared him for the task at hand.
“To train in a professional environment and be part of a couple of match days has been huge,” Basalaj said.
“It has given me confidence and I won’t be shy going into that type of environment over there.”
Basalaj is another young player to come out of Lower Hutt City and he says he’s incredibly grateful to them.
“Lower Hutt have been really supportive and given me lots of opportunities,” he said. “Playing in two World Cups has also been fantastic and given me the incentive to go further in football.”
Wellington Phoenix coach Ernie Merrick said it was satisfying to see young players coming out of the Phoenix FSE and going on to such opportunities.
“I have watched Scott at training over the past five weeks and been impressed by him,” Merrick said. “It’s a tough road but he has a chance because he has the attributes to go all the way.”
Former Glasgow Celtic and Scotland goalkeeper Jonathan Gould, now the Phoenix goalkeeping coach, also has high hopes for his student.
“The progression Scott has shown over the last four years, in combination with the work he had done at the FSE and the games he has played for Lower Hutt, Team Wellington and New Zealand, gives him a good start for the environment he is going into,” Gould said.
“If you look historically at keepers in Scotland they aren’t all 6ft 4in and 6ft 5in. Scotty has presence at 6ft 2in, has a tremendous vertical leap and spring and he can kick a decent ball.
“I think the conditions will suit him.”
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