STAR KEEPER’S EXIT HERALDS HERO’S RETURN AT A-LEAGUE GIANT

Gloveman Paul Izzo’s two-year tenure at Melbourne Victory has come to an end as he has agreed to terms with Danish Superliga team Randers for the upcoming season.
The 29-year-old former Adelaide and Xanthi shot-stopper Mitch Langerak is a ready-made substitute for the new Victory coach Patrick Kisnorbo, albeit he won’t be available until January following the end of his contract with J1 League Nagoya Grampus.

The 31-year-old defender Brendan Hamill, a former Victory player who played for Mohun Bagan in the Indian Super League the last two seasons, is also expected to rejoin the team.

Izzo, an ever present last season for the beaten grand finalists, has already proven his pedigree overseas during his two years in Greece, and has been keen on giving Europe a second shot despite having a year to run on his Victory deal.

Meanwhile, Langerak, 35, has yet to be offered an extension by mid-table Nagoya, where he has been a standout performer for the past six seasons, breaking several records for clean sheets across multiple campaigns.

However, the former Borussia Dortmund, Stuttgart and Lavante keeper has consistently voiced his willingness to ultimately return to the club which provided his launchpad into Europe, and a multi-year contract is close to being agreed.

Going the other way, Izzo is joining a club which struggled in the lower half of the Danish top flight last season and are looking to be challenging again for European spots, as they did during Aussie midfielder Mustafa Amini’s brief spell there.

Much travelled Hamill, who spent two seasons with Victory before departing for India, has also featured for Western Sydney Wanderers and Western United, as well as spending three years in the K-League.