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Newcastle United Sign Former Bricklayer Who Last Played In The Australian Fourth Division

Max Sherry

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Newcastle United Sign Former Bricklayer Who Last Played In The Australian Fourth Division

Florent Indalecio is the latest Australian player to seal a move to the Premier League.

Well, sort of.

Technically, Indalecio isn't Aussie at all - although he did play in the Australian fourth division.

After coming up through Ligue 1 side Saint Etienne's youth system, Indalecio migrated Down Under and enjoyed a stint with Fraser Park Football Club while juggling part-time work as a bricklayer in Sydney.

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And now the 23-year-old winger, who once only had €500 (AU$830) to his name, has signed for sleeping giants Newcastle United following his successful trial.

Florent Indalecio with Adam Wilson. Credit: Instagram/@floindal
Florent Indalecio with Adam Wilson. Credit: Instagram/@floindal

It turns out that Indalecio is a good friend of Magpies star Allan Saint-Maximin, but head coach Steve Bruce insists their friendship isn't why the club decided to take 'a bit of a gamble' on the relatively unknown Frenchman.

"We've decided to take a bit of a gamble and see how he gets on this year," Bruce said.

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"He came over for a trial with Allan in the summer. He came into the academy and they've had him for the past six weeks. He's got something.

"Whether that will ever be good enough to play for Newcastle, we'll see how he develops. But we'll give him a chance, he's got a decent pedigree.

"It certainly helps Allan, it's his mate. But make no mistake, we haven't just signed him because he's Allan's mate. He's got a bit of talent, otherwise he wouldn't be coming in."

Florent Indalecio is mates with Newcastle star Allan Saint-Maximin. Credit: PA
Florent Indalecio is mates with Newcastle star Allan Saint-Maximin. Credit: PA
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It's understood Indalecio has signed a one-year deal with the Magpies - who are currently 14th on the Premier League table.

But for Newcastle fans, who have been trophy-starved in the English top flight for almost 100 years, they might see Indalecio as a relatively familiar face.

The Frenchman made headlines back in Australia for scoring an incredible overhead-kick during his trial.

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And when footage of the acrobatic effort flooded social media, fans back home went nuts - and rightly so.

Now, though, it appears Indalecio isn't just scoring goals for fun in training, he's actually on the brink of fulfilling his boyhood dream of playing in the Premier League.

Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce. Credit: PA
Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce. Credit: PA

"I regret a lot from when I was young - trust me, I regret a lot before I signed for Newcastle," he told The Sydney Morning Herald.

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"When I was working in Australia, when I was in France, and I see all of my friends playing professionally and I was working in a factory ... today I am a Newcastle player and I'm very proud.

"It's a really big club and a great opportunity for me but I'm starting from the bottom.

"My objective is to play very well with Newcastle under-23s to prove I have the [ability] to play at a better level."

Topics: Steve Bruce, Football, Transfers, A-League, Allan Saint-Maximin, Australia, Newcastle United

Max Sherry
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