The Wellington Phoenix has signed a new Belgian international striker for the upcoming A-League football season.
Stein Huysegems has signed a two-year deal and is the club's most highly-rated overseas player. He's played for Dutch clubs AZ Alkmaar , Feyenoord, FC Twente, Racing Genk and Roda JC and has appeared in the UEFA Champions League against Arsenal and in the Europa League against Manchester City.
Huysegems has 15 international appearances and began his professional career in Belgium with Lierse, where he scored 32 goals in 117 appearances, before moving to AZ in Holland where he spent three years.
And at 1.86 metres tall, or six foot one inches, the 30-year-old Huysegems should be able to mix it up in the penalty area as a target man, while coach Ricki Herbert says the striker can also play wide in a front three if required.
Huysegems says he didn't know much about the A-League but got positive feedback from the former Socceroo and Melbourne Victory star Archie Thompson, which helped sway his decision to sign up with the Phoenix.
The Phoenix play pre-season games against Team Wellington on Tuesday, at Western Sydney on Sunday and at Youngheart Manawatu on the 29th.
The A-League kicks off on the first Friday in October. The next night the Phoenix host Sydney FC, who completed the biggest signing in the competition's history with Alessandro Del Pierro. Huysegems has played against Del Pierro in an Italy-Belgium game.
