A-League Chamionship winning defender Stefan Nigro has signed with the Central Coast Mariners for the upcoming A-League 20/21 season.
The 24-year old Ballarat born Nigro has played 35 games with Melbourne Victory and Brisbane Roar since debuting in 2015/16, including the 2017/18 Grand Final at McDonald Jones Stadium.
Nigro began 2020 with Green Gully in Victoria’s NPL before the season was cut down by the COVID-19 pandemic, and after heading to the Coast on a trial said he is ready to hit the ground running for the new season.
“I’m really excited, I’m over the moon to be honest,” Nigro said.
“It’s a great opportunity for me, I feel excited to be part of the Club, and I’ve loved my time here to date, I’ve been here for 4-5 weeks now and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.”
“I’ve got a fair bit of experience at this level; I’ve been part of a Championship winning team which is the biggest achievement in this league. It’s a joy to be back and I can’t wait to get started against Newcastle on New Year’s Eve.
Nigro was invited to trial but first had to take himself to Darwin to complete two weeks of quarantine before being able to arrive in New South Wales to link up with the Mariners.
With a contract now secured the former Roar and Victory man said he has enjoyed working with Alen Stajcic and that the current squad helped convince him to come up.
“There was an opportunity to come on trial, and I was really excited to take that and I came here, and to be offered a contract, that is what I came here for,” he said.
“I know a few of the boys up here, they were speaking very well of how the team was going in pre-season and I can’t wait to get cracking with the season.”
Mariners Head Coach Stajcic praised Nigro’s professionalism since arriving and embraced him as a good addition to the Club’s defensive stocks.
“We are all very happy to have Stefan sign with us here at the Mariners, and it’s a credit to him for the way he has conducted himself so far,” Stajcic said.
“He showed a lot of commitment with undertaking the quarantine period and he has shown similar determination, professionalism and hunger throughout his trial at the Club.”
“He’s got plenty of experience at this level and he also brings defensive quality to our backline at either fullback position.”
