
OBERON native Mirza 'Mickey' Muratovic will be looking to make an impact at his new side Wellington Phoenix after being shown the door by Brisbane Roar.
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Muratovic made his professional debut for Roar at the end of December and enjoyed a healthy run of appearances under the guidance of then head coach Robbie Fowler.
Fowler resigned from his role at the Roar during the coronavirus pandemic, returning home to England, and Warren Moon took over the reins at the club.
He allowed Muratovic to terminate his contract by mutual consent.
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On signing with the New Zealand club, Muratovic said he was excited to join a "hard-working", "well-structured team".
"Wellington's always been a club that strives to be in the top tier of the league," he said in a statement on the Nix's website.
"Their success last year is a good indication of a club that wants to be in the finals every year, so I'm just happy to be a part of it next season.
"I see myself as an attacking player, either as a striker or an attacking midfielder, so while scoring goals and setting up goals is a focus for me, it's more about working hard off and on the ball and being able to contribute to the team.
"I'm going to try my best to work hard and fit my way into the squad and help them succeed."
Muratovic is training in Wollongong as the Nix base themselves in the Illawarra region because of international travel restrictions.
Nix head coach Ufuk Talay said he is fortunate to have a player of Muratovic's ability.
"He's got a lot of upside and has shown an ability to keep calm under pressure and to score goals at crucial moments during matches," he said.
"We're looking forward to seeing him with the team at training this week. He'll get opportunities this season to earn minutes and to continue growing as a player."
Muratovic's former coach Moon, however, has not been singing the Oberon native's praises, unimpressed with Muratovic's fitness on his return to pre-season training in October.
"I wish him all the best," Moon told news.com.au.
"He's a good kid, but if you're a professional footballer, you need to make sure you look after yourself and you need to be in a certain condition."