Image: Mark Avellino
Moreland Zebras have boosted their attacking stocks by signing forward Nicolas Niagioran for the 2017 season.
He moves from Richmond SC, where he links up again with coach Fausto De Amicis, who was Rick Mensink’s assistant at Kevin Bartlett Reserve.
A promising former junior, the tall and athletic striker had received offers to train with the likes of Blackburn Rovers, Everton and Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers in his youth.
The Former Bentleigh Greens youth was also at Stockport in the U.K, before returning to Australia in 2015 and playing for Malvern City.
After five goals in 2015 in SL1 he was snapped up by Richmond SC.
Despite a season hampered by injury, Niagioran netted five times in 13 starts, playing 17 league games in total.
He scored in a famous 6-3 win over South Melbourne, and the winner in a 3-2 win against Pascoe Vale in the FFA Cup.
Unable to help his side avoid relegation, he now moves to the Zebras in their push for promotion.
Niagioran may strike up a deadly duo with Amir Osmancevic at CB Smith Reserve, with last year’s NPL2 sharpshooter also joining the Zebras for 2017.
They also fill the attacking void left by the likes of Danny Charalambous, James Papadimitriou and Baggio Yousif in recent times.
There are also plenty of other familiar faces with Richmond duo Javier Marangos and Kaspar Scheiber also joining, as are Gai Ayuei Gai and Regsan Watkins, while Nejc Kolamn, Daniel Petrov and Joshua McMonagle-Ilhasz have also recommitted.