Soccer: Auckland City strengthen squad before title defence

Auckland City have added former English Premiership defender Dean Gordon to the squad that will defend the NZFC title and contest the World Club Championships.

New Auckland coach Roger Wilkinson, who inherited a strong squad from Allan Jones, moved quickly to snap up Gordon.

He's also signed former New Zealand age-group striker Ross McKenzie and is trialling Christoph Pospich, a reserve team player at German Bundesliga club Werder Bremen.

Gordon, who most notably spent time at Crystal Palace, Middlesbrough and Coventry, has yet to put pen to paper but has agreed to join Auckland City. McKenzie has signed after a recent spell with Scottish Premier League outfit Dundee United.

Gordon played more than 340 league, FA Cup and League Cup games in an English career highlighted by a £900,000 move to Middlesbrough in 1998.

The 33-year-old is a former England youth international but any dreams of graduating to the senior side were scuppered by a serious injury.

He arrived in New Zealand in June to play for Albany in the Northern Premier League but was soon approached by Wilkinson about joining Auckland City.

Pospich was due to arrive in Auckland this weekend for a six-month football and work stint before a likely return to Werder Bremen.

If the 23-year-old was signed, it would complete Auckland's squad for the 2006-07 NZFC season which kicks off on October 14.

Wilkinson is still hoping to add a marquee player from a Japanese club for December's World Club Champs.

Cross-town rivals Waitakere United have also strengthened their side and it's understood Solomon Islands striker Commins Menapi has transferred from Manawatu while former New Zealand age-group striker Allan Pearce has returned from the UK for a second spell at the club.

They are likely to join All Whites skipper Danny Hay and former All Whites goalkeeper Michael Utting.

* Seven clubs have expressed an interest in taking over Manawatu's licence to play in the NZFC in 2007-08.

Applications closed Friday and it's believed there were two from the North Shore and others from East Auckland, South Auckland, Gisborne, Manawatu and Wellington's Ole Madrids.