The teams that qualify for the National League are allowed to sign two under-20 players from outside their club, as well as replace players who have left to sign professional contracts.
United have looked beyond the Southern League, recruiting Tauranga City striker Morgan Wellsbury and Petone winger Bray Whitecliffe. Eastern Suburbs midfielder Noah Karunaratne also joins as a replacement for Ashnarvy Mustapha, who has signed with a club in Cambodia.
Coastal Spirit have confirmed under 20 signings Yusuf van Dam from Cashmere Technical, and Eastern Suburbs wing Nick Petherick will join their front line.
A replacement for Southern League golden boot winner Riku Ichimura, who has signed for a club in Bhutan, has yet to be confirmed.
United head coach Ryan Edwards said the new arrivals would help cover injuries that had disrupted their season when they could not register replacements.
“Noah is a good replacement for Eddie (Wilkinson, who tore his ACL during the season), who was a huge loss, not having an attacking midfielder who links back to front, so he’s a big boost for us.
“We never had options to have a second striker if (Josh Tollervey) got injured, so now we have Morgan as another striker threat we just didn’t have this year."
Coastal Spirit captain Joe Hoole said his side had been “busier than ever,” with four training sessions a week in the lead-up to Sunday’s 2pm opener against Birkenhead United at Tāne Norton Park.
“We’ve got a strength and conditioning coach on board that hasn’t made many friends in the team. We’ve been put through a lot of physical work, but it has been good,” he said.
Hoole’s men finished seventh in their maiden National League campaign last year, but he believes the newly-crowned Southern League champions can do better this time.
“We were definitely more than competitive and stood up against the big boys,” he said of last year’s efforts.
“I think it would be stupid not to target at least a top half finish this year.”
- Christchurch United play away to Auckland United at Keith Hay Park at 3pm on Saturday. The Canterbury United Pride’s campaign also begins at the same venue, with their match against the Auckland women’s side kicking off at 1pm.
