Walsall to sign New Zealander

The following article has appeared in the New Zealand press today (New Zealand Herald)

All Whites striker Noah Hickey is poised to join English lower division soccer club Walsall, subject to securing a work permit.

At a loose end after the turbulent New Zealand Knights season ended — and with no indication the franchise will continue — Hickey is trying to secure a short-term deal with the leaders of English League 2.

The deal, should it eventuate, will see Hickey play in England for five months until the end of the season and then potentially return home to play for a rebranded Knights — providing Football Federation Australia (FFA) endorses one of three bids for the participation licence.

The FFA had discussions last week with consortiums from Auckland, Wellington and Palmerston North and expects to make a decision on whether a New Zealand franchise will remain in the A-League next month.

Meanwhile, Hickey was crossing his fingers a work permit would be approved this week.

He has had problems before with red tape in England after a move to Hull was scuppered when a permit was denied.

A tv interview with Hickey also said a move is on if work permit issues can be ironed out. Although his stats for the Knights doesn’t look impressive it should be remembered the Knights have had a terrible season. It is suggested that in fact he was one of the better performers. Although the article says striker the locals consider him more of a left sided player, an attacking wide midfield player who can also slot in at full back…..read into this what you will.

This sort of trail of events is similar to how news of Alan Pickens signing was broken, so more than a rumour.