Central Coast Mariners striker Matt Simon will leave the A-League leaders next week for South Korea.
The 25-year-old local, who gave up his job as a plasterer to train full-time and landed an A-League contract in 2006, has signed a three-year deal with K-League club Chunnam Dragons.
"It has always been a goal of mine to play overseas and this is an opportunity for me to take the next step in my career," Simon said.
"I've had a lot of great memories at the Mariners. I've loved playing for the club and I've loved playing for the fans."
Simon will play against Gold Coast United on Saturday and Melbourne Victory on Wednesday before leaving for Gwangyang on Thursday.
Mariners coach Graham Arnold admitted Simon's presence would be missed both on and off the pitch, but believes the club has the depth to carry on up front in Simon's absence.
"I think it's a great reward for a great bloke, a great clubman and a fantastic footballer for the Mariners," Arnold said.
"Matty was coming off contract and he's received a great offer from Korea. It's a wonderful opportunity for him.
"It's the A-League, these things happen where players leave mid-term.
"But it won't be too much of a distraction because we've got a lot of depth and it opens up a great opportunity for other players to step up to the mark," he said.
ABC/AAP
Tags: sport, soccer, a-league, australia, nsw, gosford-2250 First posted December 30, 2011 12:20:49
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