4 Feb 2009

Agent and Gold Coast say Smeltz isn't going anywhere

5:59 am on 4 February 2009

Newly-crowned player of the year Shane Smeltz will be a Gold Coast United player next year, say the A-League newcomers and the New Zealand international's official agent.

Smeltz's current A-League club Wellington Phoenix have claimed the 2008-09 top goalscorer had accepted a lucrative three-year deal with Turkish Super League club Hacettepe SK.

However, Gold Coast coach Miron Bleiberg says the club need to agree to release the player before any move can materialise and Smeltz's agent Leo Karis has accused the Phoenix of trying to cash in on the season's top goalscorer before his contract expires on March 31st.

Karis says Smeltz is going to the Gold Coast.

He says the Phoenix have been participating with an agent who is not authorised to represent Shane in a bid to cash in on the player before his contract expires, unbeknown to me or the Gold Coast.

Smeltz does have a clause in his contract which allows him to move overseas if a club makes a transfer bid for him, but it has to be agreed to by the Gold Coast.

However, Bleiberg says the club have not signed anything which will see the club part with their new signing before he has kicked a ball for them.