Soccer: Old to join Newcastle Jets

New Zealand soccer defender Steven Old has signed a one-year deal with Australian national league club the Newcastle Jets.

He will join All Whites teammate Vaughan Coveny at the A-League club.

Confirmation of the deal came today just hours before Old, 20, was due to depart Auckland with the All Whites for three matches in Europe.

Newcastle coach Nick Theodorakopoulos flew Old to Australia for contract talks last week and signed the 1.90m, 85kg central defender without trialling him.

"I asked him to come over and got it done quickly because if it had got out I was after him, we'd have been in a serious tug of war," Theodorakopoulos said.

"He's been on my radar for a while. He's got two good feet and for a tall guy, he's quite silky."

Theodorakopoulos had no hesitation signing Old, who has been at St Johns University in the United States for several years.

"I just wanted to be assured he was a good boy as well as a good player because while we're trying to build a good football side at Newcastle, we also want good characters at the club," Theodorakopoulos said.

All Whites coach Ricki Herbert is pleased another of his national squad has secured a professional contract on the back of New Zealand's European tour in May and June.

Old's deal comes after former New Zealand Knights goalkeeper Glen Moss signed a four-year deal with Romanian club Dinamo Bucharest.

"It's pleasing to have another player involved in the day-to-day demands of professional football," Herbert said.

"These environments will ensure further progress for Steven who is an exciting long-term prospect for the national team."

Old will be one of eight New Zealanders in the A-League this summer, joining All Whites teammates Coveny, Leo Bertos, Jeremy Christie, Adrian Webster (Perth Glory), Noah Hickey and Che Bunce (New Zealand Knights) and Jeremy Brockie (Sydney United).

Old will join Newcastle in time for their opening A-League match of the season away to the New Zealand Knights on August 27.

The All Whites are to play matches in Europe against English clubs Charlton Athletic on August 5 and Blackburn Rovers on August 12 before meeting Spanish Uefa Cup champions FC Sevilla on August 15.

- NZPA