Former Phoenix midfielder signs for A-League rivals Melbourne ...

Melbourne Victory have recruited former Wellington Phoenix midfielder Roly Bonevacia for the rest of the men’s A-League season.

Bonevacia (32) joins from Kuwaiti side Al-Tadamon where he spent the last four seasons playing throughout the Middle East.

Third-placed Victory are chasing current league leaders Wellington Phoenix and will benefit from Bonevacia’s A-League experience.

Bonevacia has made 125 appearances over five seasons in the competition, representing Wellington Phoenix and Western Sydney, and was named in the PFA A-League Men’s Team of the Season in 2016.

He played 80 games for the Phoenix between 2014-17, scoring 14 goals.

A graduate of the famed Ajax Academy, he represented the Netherlands at youth international level and Curacao at senior international level.

Melbourne Victory head coach Tony Popovic told the club’s website:

“We’re thrilled to have a quality player like Roly join us for the rest of the season and we have no doubt that he will make a positive impact this campaign.

“Roly is a versatile midfielder who has strong assets in both defence and attack and we believe his attributes will complement our current midfield.”

Bonevacia said: “It’s great to be back in the A-League and playing for a club like Melbourne Victory and I can’t wait to get started.

“Melbourne Victory is a club I have always admired from afar. The fans, the club and the stadium have always been the envy of the league, and I’m looking forward to representing Victory on the field.

“The team has been amazing this season and I want to be able to bring more success to the team as we push towards the finals.”

Bonevacia will be available for the clash with Macarthur FC at AAMI Park on Saturday February 10, 2024, and joins Salim Khelifi as the Victory’s mid-season transfer window acquisitions.

Standings

More football stories