The Wellington Phoenix football coach Ernie Merrick has completed his his first off-season signing with Sunderland's reserve team captain Alex Gorrin agreeing to a two-year contract.
The 20-year-old Spanish midfielder's signing was announced on Wednesday night at the club's awards dinner, where fellow Spaniard Albert Riera was named player of the year, despite missing the last 10 games through injury.
Merrick says Gorrin is just the type of ball-playing midfielder the club was looking for and while he's not the finished article, he's someone who can develop with the club.
Merrick says Gorrin is technically very good, good at winning the ball, passing and retaining it.
