Defender Joshua Laws has re-signed with the Wellington Phoenix through the 2022-23 A-League campaign.
Laws played 14 games for the Phoenix this season, after joining the club at the end of 2020.
Coach Ufuk Talay says the Scottish-born Australian was a welcome addition to the defensive rotation and alongside Steven Taylor and Tim Payne, provides quality depth in that position.
"Josh was consistent for us this season; he’s smart and it’s always good to have someone like him in your backline who is dependable night in, night out," Talay says.
"You want a player who comes in and does the job he’s asked to do, and Josh has done this - and more - for us this season; he’ll have more opportunities to contribute to the club next season and beyond, so we’ll look forward to seeing Josh continue to lift his game even further."
Laws Is looking forward to playing a full season of games in front of the passionate Yellow Fever fanbase after experiencing a small taste of it last month in the club's first home game in more than 400 days.
"That was definitely a factor that in the end influenced my decision, actually getting a glimpse as to what it would be like to play and live in Wellington all season," Laws says.
"That was my first time in Wellington and the boys showed me around the city, some scenic tours etc - and then just playing in front of the crowd, I actually got goosebumps when we went out and saw the size and energy of that Wellington crowd packed into the stadium.
"It was really amazing and had a big influence on me wanting to stay on, I enjoyed the Wellington fans and the experience so much."
The Phoenix went unbeaten in 12 games to end the season, missing the playoffs by a point and for Laws that's a positive as they build into a new campaign later this year.
"I think we showed in the last run of 10-11 games what we’re all about, the potential this squad has once we really gelled and got into a bit of a rhythm playing together.
“While it was unfortunate that we couldn’t progress further [into the Finals] the team gave myself and the fans a glimpse into what next season should hopefully hold, and it’s up to us as a squad to live up to that potential that we’ve shown."
