Soccer: Kingz waiting for sign from Burton

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Football Kingz player of the year Mark Burton is due back in New Zealand today, but the Auckland-based club is not saying whether he will play for them again.

Burton was offered a contract with Scottish premier club Aberdeen and had been considering that while on holiday in Germany.

He is also looking at offers from Australian National Soccer League clubs, including the Kingz.

Spokesman Chris Turner refused to confirm or deny whether Burton would re-sign for the Kingz, but said the club would "definitely be interested."

"We have not signed Mark Burton for the 2001-02 season," Turner said. "But, as we have always said, should he show any interest in playing we would definitely be interested."

Aaran Lines, another who headed to Europe, is having trials with Dutch club Royal Antwerp.

Noah Hickey and Chris Jackson, also former Kingz players, are still overseas awaiting a possible move to English club Hull City.

If Hickey fails to get the work permit he needs to play in England, it is likely he will take up an offer with an NSL club - but not the Kingz.

The Kingz had their first training session under new coach Mike Petersen yesterday.

Australian signings Con Boutsianis, Andy Vlahos and Vas Kalogeracos, and Japanese defender Hiroshi Miyazawa were there, but Mark Atkinson and Che Bunce were not.

Atkinson is due from Australia in the next few days and Bunce is playing in Iceland under a loan agreement with the Kingz. He is due back on September 20.

Jonathan Perry was at training, but is likely to leave in the next few days for a trial with English second-division club Cambridge.

"If he is picked up by them, we would expect a transfer fee," Turner said.

Bunce and Perry are among five players - along with Sean Douglas, Harry Ngata and Levent Osman - who are heading into the second year of a two-year contract with the Kingz.

Plans for the Kingz' pre-season tour to China were last night in the balance.

Turner said that if it fell through, the club would go to Australia, with a match against Northern Spirit on September 12 confirmed.

He rubbished suggestions the club were about to sign former Australian, now English-based, goalkeeper Jason Kearton.

"We have never heard of him. We are speaking to two goalkeepers in Britain, but he is not one of them."

Young Christchurch City striker Brent Fisher has signed a one-year contract with Northern Spirit with the option of a second year.

Dunedin Technical striker Aaron Burgess is having a two-week trial with the club, who have also offered the chance to two under-17 New Zealand players to join their under-17 squad.

Meanwhile, Boutsianis has been named in the 20-strong Australian squad to play Japan in the inaugural Asia/Oceania Challenge Cup in Shizuoka on August 15.

Socceroos coach Frank Farina has included many of the players who finished third in the Confederations Cup in June.

Japan lost the final 0-1 to France.