NRMA Insurance Western Sydney Wanderers defender Shannon Cole today signed a one-year contract extension.
The versatile Cole has been a popular presence at the Wanderers since the formation of the Club in 2012, appearing in two Hyundai A-League Grand Final squads and the AFC Champions League Final.
In fact it was the Foundation Player’s contribution to the ACL win that fans remember most with Cole contributing a number of key goals – including in the Semi-Final – and closing down world class opponents all across Asia.
Cole has a total of 63 appearances and five goals for the Red & Black having represented Wanderers in the Hyundai A-League, AFC Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup.
The 31-year-old said he was very happy to re-sign for the Club he had been at since the very beginning.
“I feel at home here; my family, my wife and daughter are all very happy here. We have an amazing Club that is influencing our community and it’s great to be a part of that. The Club has big ambitions and constantly want to grow and get better and I think it’s rare to find that in football,” said Cole.
“I believe now that this squad is the best Wanderers squad that I’ve seen and I feel privileged to be part of that but at the same time, not having played a game this season it’s been a lot of hard work on my behalf to show how badly I do want to be a part of this team.
“It’s all ahead of me now: an opportunity to show that all my hard work is going to come good and I can contribute to this amazing squad that we’ve got. It’s a show of good faith from the coaching staff and I’m very grateful for that.”
Wanderers CEO John Tsatsimas said the contract extension was testament to Cole’s character and playing abilities.
“Since joining as a Foundation Player in 2012, Shannon has put everything he possibly could into this club,” said Tsatsimas.
“Shannon is a well-rounded individual who genuinely enjoys contributing on the field, in the dressing room and out in the community.
“All of our Club’s greatest moments involve Shannon and we look forward to him being involved in more of those in the future.”
