Grant Brebner’s love affair with the Melbourne Victory is set to continue for at least another season after the Scotsman signed a one-year contract extension with the club on Monday.
Grant Brebner’s love affair with the Melbourne Victory is set to continue for at least another season after the Scottish veteran signed a one-year contract extension with the club on Monday.
The deal ties the 31-year-old to the Victory until the end of next season as he resisted offers from the new Hyundai A-League clubs to remain with Melbourne.
The veteran midfielder admits moving to Melbourne in 2006 was one of the best of his long career, which saw him do his apprenticeship at Manchester United in the mid 1990’s before he moved back to Scotland where he enjoyed long careers with two of the biggest clubs in the Scottish Premier League in Hibernian and Dundee United prior to his move to Australia.
In his first season with the Victory, Brebner played a key role in helping the club win the championship/premiership double in 2006/07 and he has bounced back strongly this season after missing most of 2007/08 with the debilitating groin problem, osteitis pubis.
Brebner said he never entertained any thoughts of leaving Melbourne, adding the decision to come to Victoria initially was one of the best of his long and decorated career.
“I am happy in Melbourne, I am very happy playing for Melbourne Victory and I have been wanting to stay loyal to the club,” he said on Monday.
“It’s been a great move for me and I can’t stress highly enough how good it is to come out and play here (in Melbourne).”
“I am constantly telling people at home what it’s like and maybe in the future there will be a few more coming out.”
Brebner said he was happy to take it one year at a time at this stage of his career and particularly given his recent injury problems.
“At the moment a year (contract extension) seems the most logical choice,” he said.
“I have spoken many times about maintaining myself and looking after that (groin problem) and while a two-year deal would have been great, both parties were aware of the (possibility of) the injury re-occurring so a year was logical.”
“But if I can finish out this season strongly and play well next season then things will look after themselves after that.”
Victory Football Operations Manager Gary Cole was delighted to have secured Brebner until at least the end of the 2009/10 season.
“And we are hoping it will go on from there, we’d like him to finish his career here and Grant would like to do that as well.”
