Photo: Mark Witte
South Melbourne have secured the services of former Melbourne City winger Stefan Zinni, who returns to Lakeside Stadium after a two-year absence.
The 20-year-old initially signed with the A-League powerhouse at the back end of 2014, having progressed through the youth ranks at South Melbourne without ever making a senior appearance.
His first taste of first team football came in 2015, where he started in Melbourne City’s comfortable 5-1 FFA Cup Second Round victory over the Wellington Phoenix, before going on to make a further four league appearances for the club.
At NPL2 level, Zinni netted seven goals in 38 league appearances over the course of the last two seasons for Joe Palatsides’ Melbourne City Youth team.
The son of former Socceroos marksman Andrew, Zinni will provide his new employers with added depth on the flanks, and compete for a berth alongside former City teammate Matthew Millar.
“There is no other way to put it, I’m happy to be home and at a club that has played a large part in my life for over a decade,” Zinni told smfc.com.au.
“While I enjoyed my time in the A-League and thank City for the opportunity, there is something exciting about putting on the South shirt and the badge that is familiar with most of my football to date.
“I can’t wait to get started and hopefully I will be able to add something different to the team. My dream was always to be a South Senior, so to have that chance is extremely exciting.”
SMFC Football Director Nicholas Maikousis was proud to see the progression of the homegrown product and the subsequent excitement of his return to the senior ranks of the club.
“Stefan is a South boy who has made his way through the ranks and into our senior squad,” he said.
“Having commenced his football at the club in the U/8’s, it’s fantastic to see products of our youth setup making their way into the senior squad and forming a large part of our future.”