Soccer: Pantelis to join Phoenix

Lucas Pantelis will wear the Phoenix strip for the next two seasons. Photo / Getty Images

The Wellington Phoenix have made their most significant signing of the offseason with Adelaide United livewire Lucas Pantelis to join the A-League football club on a two-year deal.

The Phoenix tonight confirmed the signing of the diminutive 29-year-old tomorrow, bringing to 14 the number of players in their squad for next season's A-League, which starts in October.

Pantelis, the Adelaide vice-captain, is a dynamic left-sided midfielder who can also play as a striker and will be a worthy and proven replacement for young New Zealander Marco Rojas, who set the A-League alight last season before deciding the pastures were greener at A-League heavyweights Melbourne Victory, snubbing his nose at an offer from the Phoenix.

"Lucas is a balanced, quick, left-sided player who has played a major role at a successful club," Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert said.

"We have been talking to him for a while and it is great to get the deal over the line."

A foundation member of the Reds, Pantelis, one of the smaller players in the league at 1.68m tall and weighing in at 68kg, has played 101 matches across five seasons and scored 14 goals.

In March last year he signed a two-year contract extension with Adelaide, which was to see him remain at Hindmarsh Stadium until June 2012.

But the Phoenix have come up trumps with a good offer, luring the former Australian age group representative and Socceroos squad member away from the city he calls home.

Pantelis' signing comes hot on the heels of the Phoenix's first significant move of the off-season 10 days ago, when they signed speedy former Perth Glory fullback Jimmy Downey, 23, on a two-year contract. Downey is basically a straight swap for Troy Hearfield, who is now with the Central Coast Mariners.

- NZPA