Ex AEK Athens and Socceroo Burns seals Japan move

Ex- AEK Athens player and Johnny  Warren Medal winner Nathan Burns will leave the A-League and play in Japan next season.

Wellington Phoenix confirmed on Friday that Socceroo Burns, 27, will join J.League club FC Tokyo pending a medical, with the A-League club accepting the Japanese club’s offer.

Burns is flying to Japan to complete the medical.

“We expected this to happen given the season Nathan had with us,” Phoenix general manager David Dome said.

“It became even more likely when he won the Johnny Warren medal for the best player in the A-League.

“Ernie Merrick has been looking at alternatives for some time and will continue to do so.

“Nathan has been terrific for the Phoenix and we wish him well for the future.”

Burns’ Phoenix stint injected life into a career which had stuttered in stints in Greece and Korea after shining for Adelaide United and at Australian age group level as a teenager.

Burns was the fastest player to reach 10 goals in an A-League season and became the first player to net a hat-trick in Phoenix club history, against Melbourne City in November.

He was crowned club player of the year in May.

His goal-scoring exploits and electric pace resulted in a recall to the Socceroos squad for the Asian Cup hosted by Australia in January, five years after he previously represented his country.