Adelaide United’s Birighitti to trial with Nijmegen

Official release from Adelaide United

Young Adelaide United goalkeeper Mark Birighitti will head off to the Netherlands today for a one week trial with Dutch club Nijmegen Eendracht Combinatie (N.E.C.).

The 20 year old Qantas Young Socceroos (U-20) and Qantas Joeys (U-17) representative has signalled his interest and intent on trying his luck to join an overseas club.

When the opportunity arose for Birighitti to spend a week with the Eredivisie club, Adelaide United gave permission for him to try and take the next step in his career.

“Mark, like any young player, is keen to further his career with a big overseas club and we received a request from N.E.C. for Mark to head over there for a trial,” Adelaide United Football Director Michael Petrillo said.

“As we have always done, Adelaide United will not stand in the way of allowing players who want to land a contract overseas, and Mark deserves his opportunity and we wish him the best of luck with the trial.”

Since he signed with Adelaide United in 2008, Birighitti has found it tough to break into the Reds’ starting line up due to the exceptional performances of Reds’ number one keeper and dual Hyundai A-League Goalkeeper of the Year Eugene Galekovic.

The young Western Australian has made seven appearances for the club to date, six of which have come in the Hyundai A-League while the other was in the 2nd leg of the 2008 AFC Champions League Final.

If Birighitti’s trial with N.E.C. is successful and the deal goes ahead, he would make the move to the Dutch club when the next transfer window opens on 2 January 2012.

Birighitti will return to Adelaide from the trial next Sunday 13 November 2011. Current Qantas Young Socceroos and Reds Youth Team goalkeeper Nick Munro will come in as Birighitti’s replacement for United’s match against Gold Coast United on November 11.