Box Hill United have added the services of Heidelberg United utility Phil Petreski to their playing squad for the remainder of the 2017 NPL2 campaign.
The 22 year-old former Melbourne City Youth captain spent the past year at Olympic Village, making a total of 20 league appearances for the Bergers which included five starts.
Capped by Macedonia at U21 level, he made his senior debut for the Victorian Training Centre (later renamed the NTC) in the 2011 VPL Campaign aged just 16, playing a total of 7 league games.
From there onwards, he was selected as a part of Melbourne Heart’s inaugural Youth team squad of 2011/12 under John Aloisi, spending the next five years with the Bundoora-based outfit.
In that time, he also spent the NYL off-season with South Melbourne (2012-13) and Northcote City (2014), playing 10 and 21 league games respectively for Hellas and Hercules.
Captain of the 2014/15 NYL winning Melbourne City side, Petreski was a part of City’s inaugural NPL campaign in 2015 before departing the club in May of last year having scored six goals in 29 games.
Capable of playing on either flank as a full-back or in central midfield, Petreski struggled for regular starting time at Heidelberg and was primarily utilised off the bench in his 12 months at the club.
Nonetheless, three starts earlier this year and a handful of impressive performances saw him crowned Bergers fans Player of the Month in March.
He joins a Pythagoras outfit which has underwent a resurgence in the past month having won their last three league fixtures as well as putting on a respectable showing in their 2-1 FFA Cup loss to South Melbourne.
He is eligible to make his debut for United once the mid-season transfer window opens on May 23 with his debut likely to come in the Round 16 fixture at home to Murray United.
He is the second addition to Greg Kassidas’ squad, following the arrival of Englishman Dominic Furness to Wembley Park, while the club has released squad players Connor Kass and Baley Row.