Former New Zealand under-17 captain and All Whites midfielder Jeremy Christie is the latest to sign for A-League club Wellington Phoenix.
Coach Ricki Herbert yesterday added Christie, 24 tomorrow, to his roster, taking the squad to 17 - eight New Zealanders, seven Australians and two Brazilians.
In aflurry of signings before he leaves for Europe with the All Whites tomorrow, Herbert has also signed former All Whites striker Vaughan Coveny, Brazilian attacking midfielder Felipe de Souza, 25, and Australians Royce Brownlie, 27, and Karl Dodd, 26.
"That might be it for now," said Herbert last night. "But it depends on how negotiations progress, especially with South Americans. If things go how I want them, I might have to move quickly as those kind of players tend to be snapped up."
With just six places left on his 23-player roster, Herbert said Jeremy Brockie, who is in the All Whites squad for the matches against Wales and Ukraine, is likely to be the second of his mandatory under-20 signings.
"I will probably wait until after the under-20 World Cup before making a call on the final young player," said Herbert. "Of the other four places to be filled, two will go to foreigners - South Americans or perhaps an Asian or European."
Herbert insists he will put his Phoenix duties aside while away with the national side.
He says a couple of "quite outstanding" South American players remain in his sights, though he is aware of problems assimilating them here and is happy to sign players who will help with that.
"Daniel Lins Cortes' brother is coming here for a couple of weeks to help him settle," he said.
