Suns eye former Socceroo

June 5 2014

Shepparton News

Goulburn Valley Suns have set their sights on former Socceroos defender Simon Colosimo.

Colosimo, 35, was capped 26 times by the Australian national team and has played 147 A-League games with Perth Glory, Sydney FC and Melbourne Heart, where he was captain for three seasons.

Upon his release from the Heart at the end of the 2012-13 season, Colosimo joined Indian I-League outfit Dempo SC, under former Rivers FC coach Arthur Papas.

Suns coach Peter Zois confirmed Colosimo was in negotiations to sign with the National Premier Leagues club when the mid-season transfer window opened on June 13.

‘‘I’ve spoken to him and nothing is confirmed yet, but he’s someone I’ve known personally for many years from our time at the Aust ralian Institute of Sport and in my time working at Melbourne Heart,’’ Zois said.

‘‘He’s back from his stint in India at the moment and whether I was going to speak to him about the GV Suns or the moon, we were always going to have a coffee and catch up.

‘‘It just happens to be I’m coach of the GV Suns and he’s a player I would love to have at the club, so it was worth bringing it up over a coffee and he’s shown enough interest to pursue talks.

‘‘If a player of his calibre is available and shows interest, you need to look into it.’’

Should a deal be completed, Colosimo would shore up the Suns’ defence, which has shipped a league-high 29 goals through the first 11 games of the maiden campaign.

Colosimo played at a host of clubs across Australia, England, Belgium, Turkey and India throughout an 18-year professional career.

Since 2004, Colosimo has served as Professional Footballers Australia president and he would bring invaluable experience, leadership and professionalism to the fledgling NPL outfit.

‘‘If we’re going to be serious about staying in this league, we need to strengthen in certain areas and that’s one area I believe we need to strengthen the squad,’’ Zois said.

‘‘I know Arthur (Papas) very well and spoke to him when I knew about Simon being back home.

‘‘Arthur said he had a fantastic season and was one of the reasons why the team did so well.

‘‘(Simon) is someone who is in very good nick and is a full-time professional coming off a full-time professional league in a tough culture. Being a westerner in a place like India is not easy and to not only last a season, but enjoy it and perform was a testament of the character of the person and the professional.’’

Colosimo has several links to the club, with former teammates Naum Seku lovski (Glory) and Kristian Sarkies (Heart) on the playing roster.

As reported in The News last week, a deal for ex-Gold Coast United and Western Sydney Wanderers goalkeeper Jerrad Tyson is also being pursued , with hopes of securing his services before the transfer window as an injury replacement for departed Englishman Josh Glover.

The Suns sit last on the NPL table, five points adrift of their nearest rival Melbourne Knights, with relegation looming large.

A move for a player of Colosimo’s stature suggests they will not be going down without a fight.