Newcastle Jets’ prospective Marquee player, Edmundo Zura, has jetted into Newcastle and has commented on his desire to perform for the Jets in the Hyundai A-League.
Australia has today seen its first glimpse of prospective Newcastle Jets Marquee player, Edmundo Zura. Landing in the country at 7:05am this morning, the imposing striker faced the media today and will go through the standard signing protocols over the coming days.
Zura boasts an impressive goalscoring record of 23 goals in 52 games for his former club Sporting Club Imbabura and will no doubt prove to be lethal in front of goal with the Jets alongside last season-s Johnny Warren Medallist and Golden Boot Winner, Joel Griffiths.
Club CEO, John Tsatsimas, today spoke on behalf of the club in welcoming the player to Australia and expressed the club-s delight at having a player of Zura-s ilk in its midst.
“Not only the goalscoring exploits, but the flair that will be exhibited by the player is something unique and hopefully we-ll be able to see that from the first game,” said Mr. Tsatsimas. “Edmundo is a current International, a player in the prime of his career, he-s 24, and hopefully he will contribute significantly and greatly to the history of this club.”
The softly spoken Zura was a portrait of humility in front of the media and conveyed his desire to further his promising career in the Hyundai A-League. Zura spoke through translator, Oscar Omegna.
“I have hope and faith that I am going to do the best job that I can do here. I am going to deliver on all the expectations that everybody has for me,” Zura explained.
“I have heard very good things about the Australian League and Australia in general,” Zura said. “I want to succeed here and work hard every day.”
Zura is perhaps as well known for his outrageous goals as he is for his flamboyant goalscoring celebrations. One of his trademark antics is to don a wrestling mask after scoring and he explained that the seemingly jovial act is in fact a tribute to a former teammate. Otilino Tenorio was a former Ecuadorian International player who passed away tragically in 2005, and it is his career that Zura now honours.
“I admired him very much as a person and as a player so I am trying to do the same thing that he did. So I am trying to score a lot of goals and dedicate it to him and to his memory.”
With a relaxed attitude toward his high profile and prospective Marquee status, the Ecuadorian International concluded that success for the Jets will come from collaboration from the squad that has been assembled by the reigning Hyundai A-League Champions.
“I am very relaxed because the team is eleven players. For eleven players to score one goal every one of them has to work for the same objective,” he stated.
