Perth Glory is delighted to confirm that former Australia Under-23 international midfielder Nicholas Pennington has joined the club on a two-year deal.
Now 25, Pennington has chalked up more than 60 Isuzu UTE A-League appearances since debuting for Wellington Phoenix in 2021 and made 22 starts as the Kiwi side reached the Semi-Finals last season.
The Rome-born former Cagliari youth player, whose father hails originally from Perth, is now excited at the prospect of embarking upon a new chapter in his career with Glory.
“There were a few factors that made up my mind in terms of signing for Perth Glory,” he said.
“Firstly, having an ex-Socceroo like [Glory Football Director] Stan Lazaridis putting a lot of faith in me to help turn things around from the last few seasons meant a lot.
“Secondly, I saw the atmosphere at HBF Park when I played for Wellington against Glory last season and it was amazing, even with the team struggling.
“I think if we give the fans some results, they will have our back.
“And lastly, even though I grew up in Italy, my dad was born in Perth and lived in Glen Forrest when he was young, so why would I go anywhere else in Australia?!
“I’m looking forward to working hard and I’m sure the effort put in by the club will deliver results.”
Lazaridis, meanwhile, believes that Pennington will play a major role in the club’s future.
“He’s a big signing for us,” he said, “particularly in the midfield area where I felt we were lacking that box-to-box drive last season.
“Nicholas has got a great engine, he’s a smart player who can provide excellent link-up play with the forwards and I’m really looking forward to seeing him compete for a place in our new-look midfield.
“I think the Members and fans are going to love him, the team are going to love him and I believe that he is a player who, after a couple of years with us, is ultimately destined to play in Europe once again.”
Pennington’s football journey began with Serie A side Cagliari where he progressed through the youth ranks into the Under-19s squad before being loaned out to gain first-team experience with another Sardinian club, Olbia Calcio 1905.
He duly became a regular starter for Olbia in the unforgiving environment of Serie C, making 90 appearances ahead of completing a move to Wellington Phoenix in 2021.
His A-League debut for the ‘Nix came later that year in a 2-1 victory over the Mariners and he would go on to make 13 starts during the 2021/22 campaign, while also debuting for Australia at Under-23 level.
The dynamic midfielder’s first A-League goal came, ironically, against Glory in March 2022 and he doubled his tally with another effort during a Round 16 win over Western United last season.
The following players are now under contract for 2024/25: Oli Sail, Cameron Cook, Robbie Cook, Josh Risdon, Riley Warland, Anas Hamzaoui, Kaelan Majekodunmi, Andriano Lebib, Zach Lisolajski, Jacob Muir, Luke Bodnar, Jarrod Carluccio, Trent Ostler, Mustafa Amini, Brandon O’Neill, Nicholas Pennington, Jaylan Pearman, Khoa Ngo, Adam Zimarino, Adam Taggart, David Williams, Nathanael Blair.
Contract negotiations are ongoing with a number of other first-team squad members and further announcements will be made shortly, along with details of new player signings.
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