Soccer: Burton chooses Kingz over Aberdeen

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Football Kingz player of the year Mark Burton has been welcomed back to the club with a three-year contract.

In signing the biggest contract offered by the Auckland-based club, Burton ended weeks of speculation.

There had been suggestions he was poised to join Scottish premier side Aberdeen, but his manager, Kevin Clarke, said there were problems in going through with that.

"Because New Zealand are not ranked among the top 70 countries, Mark would have had to go through an appeal process to secure a work permit," Clarke said.

"In the end there was not much between the deals offered by the Kingz and Aberdeen. He chose the Kingz.

"The Kingz have now bought Mark outright which means he is now one of their players.

"They could expect a fee if he was sold."

Kingz general manager Chris Turner said the deal with Burton was not done with that in mind, rather that they felt he was a proven performer who would play a vital role in the team.

"Over the next two or three years we do not expect to see many Mark Burtons coming through the New Zealand football scene," Turner said.

"We are likely to offer more and more players longer contracts."

Burton, who struggled with a knee injury and the effects of flu in the two World Cup matches against Australia, is back to full fitness and will join his team-mates and new coach Mike Petersen at training today.

Wynton Rufer might not be too far away from following Burton's lead and returning to the Kingz.

He and Petersen have agreed in principle on what they both want and Turner expects them to reach a satisfactory agreement today or early next week.

Burton's signing brings the list of confirmed players to 13.

They could have Rufer as the 14th, and have yet to sign two goalkeepers.

It is expected the squad will be complete before they go to Australia for a warm-up game against Northern Spirit on September 12.

With confirmation yesterday that the proposed trip to China is off, the Kingz will now have two or three games in Australia as the main part of their preparation ahead of the National Soccer League kickoff in the first weekend of October.

* Metro might be the strugglers in the national league, but their young players are being given a second-to-none opportunity to improve their game.

Under an arrangement with English first-division club Stockport County, young players who have worked at Metro under youth coach Roger Woolmer are being given the chance to go to England.

They will spend time at the club's centre of excellence under director Mick Wiblin.

Wiblin, who is in New Zealand, is keen to see the scheme expanded.

"With Manchester United just 12 miles down the road and Liverpool not too far away, we can hardly be regarded as high profile," he said.

"But we are getting results, especially with our young players.

"The big difference between Stockport County and the big clubs is that we are able to offer boys as young as 16 the chance to play in our first team."

Luke Sarapu has already tasted life at the club and it is hoped he will return for a second time.

"He did well, but we had him there for only two weeks," Wiblin said.

"When he comes back we hope it will be for four to six weeks."

One of Stockport's better young players, Paul Rowley, came to Metro this season, but failed to settle and returned home.

Wiblin hopes other players will get their chance in future.