Brisbane Roar have further bolstered their attacking arsenal with the recruitment of state-league goal machine Dylan Wenzel-Halls.
Days after signing fringe Socceroos striker Adam Taggart from Perth Glory, the Roar have locked in some impressive back-up in the form of the 20-year-old Ipswich product.
Wenzel-Halls has been in scintillating form in the NPL Queensland this season, scoring an incredible 23 goals in just 11 matches for the ladder-leading Western Pride — including seven in one match.
It comes after he scored 17 goals in 18 games last season for the Pride as they took out their first NPL title.
Wenzel-Halls had been offered a one-week trial at the Central Coast Mariners but the Roar beat them to the punch, offering him the chance to make his professional dreams come true.
“It all happened so quickly,” he told AAP. “They were really interested and they wanted to sign me.
“Words can’t describe how happy I am.”
Wenzel-Halls was part of the Roar’s youth program but was overlooked for a senior deal and released in late 2016.
Unperturbed, he returned to the NPL with the Pride and started banging in goals for fun, knowing it would eventually get him noticed.
Brisbane has proved an ideal springboard for young attackers in the past, with Jamie Maclaren sealing a move to Europe after two productive seasons.
Wenzel-Halls, a natural striker who can also play out wide, said he was looking forward to learning as much as he could under coach John Aloisi.
“It’s good that the Roar have looked in the NPL,” he said.
“That’s what it’s there for – if players excel and perform consistently and show that they are capable of making the step up, it should be used as a pool for A-League clubs.
“I’m just grateful Brisbane Roar and the boss have given me the opportunity to play for their club. I’m looking to repay their faith in me.”
It comes after the Roar opted not to renew the contract of injury-prone frontman Corey Gameiro, while it’s also understood defender Daniel Bowles and Jacob Pepper have been re-signed.
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