Heidelberg United have signed striker Emmanuel Tsakiris from Tasmanian NPL champions Olympia FC Warriors.
The 22-year-old attacker scored 23 goals in 21 league games to help end the club’s two-decade title drought, doing the league and cup double and also eliminating NPL Victoria premiers South Melbourne from the NPL finals series at Lakeside Stadium.
The Greek-born Australian scored 36 goals in all competitions in 2015 – including a devastating haul of six in a 14-0 demolition of the Glenorchy Knights – while notching up 63 goals at roughly a goal a game in his three season’s at Olympia since 2013.
His early career saw him turn out for Clarence United in the Southern Tasmania Premier League, where he scored over 40 goals, again at around a goal a game over his two-season stint with the club.
“Opportunities like this don’t happen often, so I’m going to take this one,” Tsakiris said on his move to Heidelberg.
“Personally I think the football in Victoria is the highest standard across Australia. For me to reach my potential, the move [was] vital.”
He will compete up front for Heidelberg alongside Kaine Sheppard, Kenny Athiu and Sean Ellis following the departure of Dan Heffernan to A-League side Central Coast Mariners.
Tsakiris is the second Olympia player to head to the mainland in 2016, as Luke Eyles agreed a deal with South Melbourne.
“Luke Eyles is a great player and a good kid. We are actually looking at [renting a house] together as we get on quite well.
“But as soon as that whistle blows, we will be enemies for 90 minutes.”
Heidelberg will look to build on a promising 2015, where it finished third in the league and made the quarter finals of the FFA Cup.