Southern United coach Mike Fridge has named his squad for the upcoming ASB Premiership.
Only 11 players from last year's team, which finished last in the league, are back, but Fridge has lured a Scottish striker, three Auckland players and a Cantabrian player south.
Samuel French, who played his football in the Scottish Highland league last year, will fill the void left by the departure of Tom Jackson to Wellington.
''I would have loved to have had the two of them playing together,'' Fridge said.
''I tried to get Sam last year. Him and Tom would have been a very good partnership. But we didn't get him last year, and then this year we get him and we lose Tom Jackson. So that's a bit of a blow.''
French played for Waitakere United in the ASB Premiership a couple of years ago, and arrived in Dunedin on Wednesday, before training with the team for the first time on Thursday.
Defender Tristan Prattley is a name many people in the South will be familiar with.
In a boost to the team's defensive unit, the Dunedin-raised footballer has signed on with Southern United this season.
The former Waitakere United player won the Auckland premier league and Chatham Cup playing for Eastern Suburbs this season, and is joined by team-mate Rhys Ruka.
Fridge coached Prattley for seven years when he was in charge of Dunedin Technical, and said he was ''delighted'' to have signed him and midfielder Ruka.
Alexander Williams, a Cantabrian who has been playing for the Wynnum Wolves in Queensland, has also signed with the team.
He is a striker but can also play in the wider areas, Fridge said.
Samoan international Andrew Mobberley, who has played in Queenstown and Auckland, is another new face in the team, as are Caversham players Seamus Ryder and Michael Hogan, who were both unavailable due to work commitments last year.
Regan Coldicott (Mosgiel) was unavailable last year due to injury, but has been named in this year's squad.
With 21 players named, Fridge can still name one more before the November 4 cut-off.
He is interested in a German midfielder for the final spot but is still waiting for him to arrive in the country.
''I hoped he would be here this week but he's waiting to get clearance from immigration to come over here. I'm hoping he will here very shortly ... it doesn't leave me long to have a look at him and make my decision.''
Southern United was set to play a warm-up match in Invercargill against an invitational team tomorrow, but it has been postponed because a bunch of players are unavailable due to injury.
The team will play a warm-up match against Canterbury United in Timaru in a fortnight, before kicking off the season against Waitakere United in Dunedin on November 15.
Southern United
ASB Premiership squad
Tom Batty, Ross Howard, Craig Ferguson, Benjudah Fitzpatrick, Matthew Joy, Rhys Ruka, Seamus Ryder, Andrew Ridden, Samuel French, Andrew Mobberley, Tim McLennan, Zane Green, Thomas Connor, Joshua Stewart, Tristan Prattley, Alexander Williams, Logan Wrightwebb, Michael Hogan, Regan Coldicott, David Hayman, Morgan Day.
Coach: Mike Fridge
Assistant coach: Robbie Oram
