FRANKIE’S BACK - March 10 2014
FRANKIE’S BACK
Damen Francis and Matthew Galea
March 10 2014
Shepparton News
Shepparton soccer’s favourite son Frankie Lagana is Goulburn Valley Suns’ first major signing, topping a hit list of high-calibre recruits for the club’s inaugural National Premier Leagues campaign.
Lagana, 29, has committed to the new club, which will see him playing in his home town for the first time in 12 years.
The former Shepparton South product was joined at training at McEwen Reserve on Thursday night by ex-A-League players Naum Sekulovski and Kristian Sarkies and Melbourne Heart National Youth League trio Stipo Andrijasevic, Ersin Kaya and Hernan Espindola.
Sarkies, Andrijasevic and Espindola all committed to the club yesterday after the club’s first hit out, a 2-1 loss to FC Bendigo.
Sekulovski has also agreed to play for the Suns.
The quintet joins Craig Carley and Nick Kalafatis as the first to commit to the fledgling club, giving it a tremendous platform of players to build on.
Lagana, an established Victorian Premier League player at Melbourne Knights and Oakleigh Cannons who also had a stint at Scottish First Division club Airdrie United, had initially joined Green Gully Cavaliers as a fitness and assistant coach, before pledging his allegiance to the Suns.
‘‘When I heard they got issued a licence, I knew it would be good for the town,’’ Lagana said.
‘‘I wanted to be involved in some capacity, because it’s a great opportunity for the town.
‘‘Hopefully the town and the local clubs get behind it, because this can be a great feeding ground for the young talent coming through to have an opportunity to be seen.’’
Lagana said his own pathway to elite soccer might have been different had a club like the Suns existed as a youngster.
‘‘Myself, Vince Lia; there were a lot of players that had to travel to Melbourne to move on, so this gives us a great chance to breed these young kids and not lose them to Melbourne or other codes as soon as they’re 17,’’ Lagana said.
‘‘They can stay here and play their soccer (at a high level).’’
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