Football: Wellington Phoenix sign Polish goalkeeper Filip Kurto

Filip Kurto. Photo / Getty

The Wellington Phoenix have secured their first choice goalkeeper for the 2018/19 A-League season, signing Polish custodian Filip Kurto on a two-year deal.

The 27-year-old joins from Dutch top-flight side Roda JC.

Kurto was previously been on the books of Dordrecht and Excelsior in the Netherlands, having started his professional career at Polish club Wisła Kraków.

He has represented Poland at under-18, under-19, under-20 and under-21 level.

Phoenix coach Mark Rudan has been on the lookout for a goalkeeper since arriving at the club, believing youngsters Oli Sail and Keegan Smith are not yet ready to assume the number one spot.

It's the second time the Phoenix have used one of their five allowed foreign spots on a goalkeeper with Englishman Tony Warner making 14 appearances in the 2011/12 season.

Kurto will become just the fourth foreign goalkeeper to appear in the A-League after Warner, Danish international Thomas Sorensen, who had two years at Melbourne City from 2014-2016, and Serbian Milan Jovanic who played a single game for Perth Glory in 2005/06.