The Wellington Phoenix have confirmed defender Finn Surman has become the club’s third academy graduate to finalise a move abroad in the current transfer window.
The New Zealand international has signed with Portland Timbers after the Major League Soccer (MLS) club agreed to an undisclosed fee with the Phoenix.
Surman (20) follows his long-time Phoenix teammates Alex Paulsen and Ben Old in securing a transfer overseas following the men’s record-breaking 2023-24 Isuzu UTE A-League season.
Main photo: Finn Surman joins the Timbers. Photo credit: Portland Timbers.
“It’s kind of a ‘pinch me’ moment,” he said. “It’s not something I really expected, but it’s something that really excites me now that it’s happening.
“I’m stoked for Alex and for Ben as well because we’re all pretty close. We’ve played a lot together throughout the years at the academy and played a lot together this season.
“Deep down, what every young footballer wants to do is push on and find the highest level that they can get to, so we’re all having a crack at that in our different ways.”
Surman, like Paulsen and Old, is coming off a breakthrough season after being limited to 19 league appearances over his first two years as a professional.
He started all 29 of the Phoenix’s matches during the 2023-24 A-League, playing all but the final nine minutes of extra time in the semi-final second leg against Melbourne Victory at Sky Stadium.
Surman memorably scored the stoppage time match-winner against Victory in round 24, although it was later credited as an own goal.
The former New Zealand U-20 captain also made his All Whites debut late last year and started all of their matches in Vanuatu on the way to winning the recent OFC Nations Cup.
“I feel like it’s a good step for me moving from the A-League to the MLS.
“I think the jump for a centre back like myself is not too big and there are going to be opportunities to play if I take my chances and that’s something that’s important to me.
“I see Portland as a place I can continue to develop and hopefully take the next step in my career.”
Timbers manager Phil Neville: ‘He brings quality’
Timbers head coach Phil Neville told the club’s website: “We are really excited with the signing of Finn. He’s a great, young defender to add to our stable of defenders
“We have tracked him for a long time and seen his growth throughout.
“He is now competing in the Olympics, and I think he will come back and bring another quality to the team that we’ve been looking for.”
Timbers general manager Ned Grabavoy said: “We believe he has the skillset and attributes to succeed in MLS, and we look forward to welcoming him to his new home here with the Portland Timbers.”
Surman thanks those who have helped him
Finn Surman joined the Phoenix academy in 2019 from Selwyn United and has thanked all of his teammates, coaches and the club’s support staff for believing in him and helping him improve.
“I believe people are products of their environment, and I wouldn’t be the person and player I am today without the Wellington Phoenix.
“A special thank you to Chiefy, Griffs and Uffie for helping me to develop and play the game I love at a professional level.
“But it’s not just the players and the staff who make the club, it’s also the volunteers and the fans.
“This season was pretty special for me. Every time I walked out at Sky Stadium in front of the home fans, I felt so proud to be able to play for the Wellington Phoenix.
“Even though the result didn’t go our way in our final game, to be able to fill the stadium was something incredibly special and I’ll never forget that night.
“I want to thank all the fans and the club as a whole for allowing me to be able to experience professional football.”
Phoenix head coach Giancarlo Italiano has congratulated Surman on his move.
“I’m extremely happy for Finn,” Italiano said. “I think he deserves it, especially off the back of a great season.
“We saw in pre-season that he showed a lot of promise, so we didn’t go with a foreign centre back. He took the initiative and was one of our most consistent performers.
“Finn will be sorely missed, but his departure provides an opportunity for Isaac Hughes or Lukas Kelly-Heald to step into that role.”
Director of football Shaun Gill says it’s another red-letter day for the club following Paulsen’s and Old’s moves to A.F.C. Bournemouth and AS Saint-Étienne, respectively.
“These are the three biggest outgoing transfers in the club’s history and for them to come in one window is simply incredible.
“It’s no coincidence Finn, AP, and Oldie have all come through our academy, and it shows we’ve developed a world-class high-performance pathway for young Kiwi footballers.
“Our staff, both at Fraser Park and at NZCIS, deserve a lot of credit for the roles they’ve played in their development as players and people.
“We look forward to helping other young New Zealanders realise their dreams of playing abroad in the years to come.”
This story was first published on July 20, 2024.
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