Wellington Phoenix striker Jeremy Brockie will play a loan spell at Major League Soccer club Toronto FC under the guidance of his former All Whites team-mate Ryan Nelsen.
Toronto FC announced the deal on Wednesday for Brockie, 25, to join the club during the A-League off-season. He will return to Wellington in August.
Brockie, who still has two seasons to run on his Phoenix contract, scored a club record 16 goals in 24 games last season, the second-highest in the A-League despite its last placing.
He will link with former New Zealand captain Nelsen, who retired in January to take up the role as Toronto FC coach.
Club president and general manager Kevin Payne welcomed the addition of Brockie.
“We’re excited to have Jeremy join us on loan. Ryan has played with him on the All Whites and speaks very highly of him,” Payne said.
“He’ll provide another option in an attacking position and if he can continue his form from the last A-League season we’ll be happy indeed.”
Toronto has struggled under Nelsen, winning just one of its nine MLS games to be eighth out of 10 teams in the Eastern Conference and 16th out of 20 overall.
Phoenix general manager David Dome was happy to release Brockie, hoping it will help lift his game another level.
“It is a great opportunity for Jeremy as the MLS is of a good standard, and it is possible that Jeremy could come back an even better player than he now is,” Dome said.
“The break between seasons in the A-League is too long and the club has been looking for opportunities for some of the players to play football in other leagues in an effort to get greater benefit from the break.”
Brockie, who has 35 caps for New Zealand, was named in an A-League team of the year which puts him in line for selection in an All Stars team to play English Premier League champion Manchester United in Sydney on 20 July.
It is unclear if his loan deal will rule him out of contention for that match.
Source: AAP.
