The Mariners have completed the signing of Aussie centre-back Brendan Michael Hamill from A-League club Melbourne Victory FC, IFTWC can Confirm.
“ATK Mohun Bagan have completed the signing of 29-year-old Australian defender Brendan Hamill from Melbourne Victory FC as the replacement for injured Spanish defender Tiri,” sources close to the development informed IFTWC.
About New Signing Brendan Hamill
Born in Sydney, Brendan started playing football in various amateur youth academies and lower division clubs in Australia before signing his first professional contract with Melbourne Heart FC (now rebranded as Melbourne City FC) in 2010.
He played for the club for about two years before signing for Korean Club and K-League 1 side Seongnam FC in 2012.
He made 8 appearances for the Korean club and things did turn of to be well as he was loaned in to another Korean club named Gangwon FC in 2013 where he couldn’t make his mark as well.
After returning from the loan spell in January 2014, Hamill stayed at the club till the summer transfer window and then decided to return to his native Australia where he signed for the A-League club Western Sydney Wanderers in 2014.
It was then that Brendan became an integral part of the Wanderers team and was even nominated as the captain of the team later on. Hamill appeared for the Western Sydney Wanderers in 80 matches over five years. It also marked his longest tenure at any club tip date.
In 2019, after rejecting a contract extension from the Western Sydney Wanderers, Hamill signed for a new A-League club called Western United FC. Brendan played 20 games for Western United FC in his two-year stay.
In July 2021, Hamill reunited with his former Western Sydney Wanderers coach Tony Popovic, joining Melbourne Victory on a two-year deal.
ATK Mohun Bagan will have a massive upliftment of their defensive prowess after signing Brendan Hamill. Hamill is a natural leader in the defence and can emerge to be a pillar for the opposition team’s strikers.
Brendan who has a wealth of experience at his back where he played for some of the top clubs in Asia’s elite leagues, the Mariners will be hugely benefited after signing him.
Hamill has also represented Australia’s age-group national teams. Brendan featured for Australia’s U17, U20 and U23 National teams with a combined appearance in over 30 games. Hamill also played for the Senior Olympic team in the Asian Olympics qualifiers.
In terms of honours, Hamill has won the prestigious AFC Champions League trophy in 2014 with Western Sydney Wanderers, and also he has recently won the FFA Cup in 2021 with Melbourne Victory.
Hamill has also won trophies with the Socceroos’ U16 side In 2008, and with the U19 side in 2010 at the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Youth Championships.
ATK Mohun Bagan have already signed winger Ashique Kuruniyan from Bengaluru FC and full back Ashish Rai from Hyderabad FC for the upcoming season. While Michael Soosairaj, Sk. Sahil, Roy Krishna, David Williams, Subrata Paul and Prabir Das have left the club.
The Mariners are expected to sign some more Indian and foreign players as they look to build a competitive squad that will challenge the ISL League Shield and trophy, Durand Cup and Super Cup titles in India and also boost their chances of achieving their AFC Cup mission in Asia.
With Spanish defender Tiri severely injured and expected to be out for the season, Hamill will give much-needed coverage and support at the back to stabilise the team’s leaky defence from last season as coach Juan Ferrando and his Green and Maroon army aim to fight for the silverware on both domestic and international fronts.
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