Football: United coach strengthens squad with youthful quartet

Tauranga's Xavier Pratt has been signed by WaiBOP United. Photo / File

WaiBOP United head coach Peter Smith has selected Xavier Pratt, Zac Speedy, Finn Cochran and Mario Ilich in the squad this summer. All four players are aged 20 or under, adding to the youthful look of the squad.

Pratt, a midfielder, will be the most familiar player to local fans, having played winter club football for Hamilton Wanderers and Tauranga City United in the past. He spent last summer as part of the Wellington Phoenix's ASB Premiership squad before turning out for Wellington United during 2015. He was part of WaiBOP United's youth team squad during our inaugural 2013/14 season.

Speedy, a goalkeeper, Cochran, a defender, and Ilich, a midfielder, were part of the Wanderers SC squad during the 2014/15 season. Speedy joins from Auckland City, after having spent the winter season with Three Kings United in the Lotto NRFL Premier League.

Cochran and Ilich spent the winter with Central United, another Lotto NRFL Premier League club.

Smith is pleased to have all four players sign on.

"While they're still pretty young, these guys are all experienced at ASB Premiership level and I expect them to be pushing our more established players for spots in the starting eleven right from the off," said Smith.

"They're hungry and ambitious, much like me. I'll be picking the best performing players every week and it's up to the likes of Xavier, Zac, Finn and Mario, and the others of course, to show me that that includes them."

Smith is pleased with the way his squad is shaping up a couple of weeks out from the start of the season.

"One of the key things I set out to do this season is to build strength and quality across the squad," he explained.

"We needed more depth and now we've got it. It should be tough and competitive to just make the team on match day, which in turn should improve our performances and, hopefully, results. It's going to be pretty cut-throat this summer as the standard across the league will be higher than in recent years."

WaiBOP United host Team Wellington in the opening game of their 2015/16 ASB Premiership campaign.

The match is at Hamilton's Gower Park on Sunday, November 15 at 4.35pm. It will be broadcast live on Sky Sport.

-Ryan Tinsley and Maksim Manko scored for WaiBOP United in a pre-season friendly against Waitakere United that ended 2-2 at Ngatea on Saturday.