Christmas has come a week early for Richmond’s fans, with the club announcing the signing of former Netherlands U21 international, Geert Arend Roorda.
The 27-year-old started at UEFA cup side SC Heerenveen, where he made almost 50 appearances in five years, including a loan stint at Excelsior that yielded eight goals in 13 games.
Injuries had curtailed the midfielder’s progress, who subsequently also had stints at NEC, Sparta Rotterdam and FC Dordrecht.
The announcement is a big boost for Rick Mensink’s newly promoted side, following the departure of long-term talisman and captain Tom Cahill to rival Hume City, Josh Knight to St Albans, alongside the impending exit of exciting youngster Ryan Lambert.
The club has also re-signed seven core players, consisting of Hamlet Armenian, Alex Caniglia, Jordan Seeto, Andrew Goff, Liam Flynn, Peter Sawan and Christian Rossi.
Both Caniglia and Seeto joined Richmond midway through last season and provided the side with an additional edge which ultimately helped the club claim the NPL 1 title, with Caniglia scoring 7 goals in the final nine matches and Seeto becoming a defensive mainstay for the side.
In addition, the signing of keeper’ Rossi, an unsung hero during the previous season, and Goff, who experienced an extended run in the first team during what was a season of emergence for the 21-year-old, means that Richmond’s defensive stocks are well served.
The signings of Armenian and Sawan will go a long way to helping cover the departure of the former captain Cahill and ]Knight, with Sawan looming as a key figure up front for the upcoming season, whilst Armenian’s creativity on the wing will be crucial.
Finally, midfielder Flynn was a consistent member of the side during the Eagles’ title run, chipping in with the occasional goal, whilst being a leader in the middle of the park.
These signings suggest that manager Mensik will keep the faith with the core of his squad which guided Richmond to the NPL 1 title in 2015, with Roorda and Nick Kokkolakis the club’s only acquisitions to date.
However, it is expected that Richmond will announce more signings in the New Year, as they continue to prepare for their first season back in the top flight since the introduction of the NPL system.