NRMA Insurance Western Sydney Wanderers fullback Jerome Polenz has committed to the Club for the 2013-14 Hyundai A-League season, it was announced today.
NRMA Insurance Western Sydney Wanderers fullback Jerome Polenz has committed to the Club for the 2013-14 Hyundai A-League season, it was announced today.
Polenz, 26, said his game was thriving at the newest Hyundai A-League club and he was very keen to stay.
“I re-signed because I am very happy to stay,” Polenz said today.
“My wife and I are very happy living in Western Sydney and I love playing for this club.
“I really didn-t have an option because it is so beautiful here and I really want to stay here.
“The club is a kind of tribe and I love playing at Parramatta Stadium and the fans have been so great.
“The whole club is a tight unit and everybody is pulling together and it is going very well.
“Everybody is doing a great job and it is a lot of fun to be part of it.”
Polenz was first inspired to leave Berlin for Sydney after seeing a documentary on Brisbane Roar-s German star Thomas Broich.
Now there is growing interest in Germany about Polenz and his teammates at the Wanderers.
“It is amazing back home because they just ran a big feature on me in German papers and all of my friends and family keep hearing about us here,” Polenz said.
“Other footballers are calling me from back home and asking me about football down here and about the league.”
Polenz said his game had improved since he joined the Wanderers and he felt he was flourishing under the tutorage of Coach Tony Popovic.
“One of the big reasons I signed is that the coach is making me a much better player and I want to get better,” he said.
Popovic said Polenz was a key member of the watertight Wanderers defence.
“Jerome is a very important member of this football club and he is very professional in his approach,” Popovic said.
“With his European background he knows what is required on and off the field and we are very pleased he has signed again with us.”
Popovic said when Polenz arrived at the Wanderers he had not played a lot of recent football and he had been mainly used as a midfielder.
“When his fitness improved we started to see what he could offer,” he said.
“He is a key member of this squad and he has done a very good job for this Club.”
Polenz joins fellow defenders Michael Beauchamp, Adam D-Apuzzo, Shannon Cole, goalkeeper Ante Covic and midfielder Mateo Poljak in re-signing with the Club in the past ten days.
Executive Chairman Lyall Gorman said Polenz was an excellent fit at the Wanderers.
“The re-signing of Jerome continues the Club-s focus on maintaining stability and consistency with its player roster moving forward,” Gorman said.
“Jerome has made the right fullback spot his own this year with his performances week in week out being exceptional both from a defensive and overlapping attacking point of view.
“Jerome has been a major contributor to the club-s remarkable defensive record which sees it having conceded the second least number of goals across the league at this point of the competition.
“Under Coach Popovic, Jerome continues to mature into an outstanding footballer, and is showing all of the professionalism and qualities that saw him selected as both an Under 19 and Under 20 German Youth International player.
“In addition Jerome is an invaluable asset both in the dressing room and off the field with his outgoing personality and his humility making him a big hit with both his fellow playing group and the Club-s many members and fans.”
The Wanderers- next home game will be against Central Coast Mariners on Sunday, January 6 at Parramatta Stadium at 6pm.
Kids will be allowed in for free and there will be a “Wander and Kick” opportunity held on the pitch after full time.
