New Zealand age group international George Stanger has signed a two-year deal with Scottish Championship club Ayr United.
Ayr becomes the eighth Scottish club of Stanger’s six-year professional career, after his contract expired with Alloa Athletic.
Stanger (22), the son of revered Scottish rugby international winger Tony Stanger, has played for New Zealand’s OlyWhites, and U-20 and U-23 national sides.
Main photo: George Stanger is unveiled as Ayr United’s second signing of the Scottish summer. Photo credit: Ayr United.
Alloa missed out on promotion play-offs last season and Stanger told the Daily Record he was sorry to leave the club.
“Alloa was a great club for me with great people and it’s one of the best changing rooms I’ve been involved in. The key thing for me was getting regular games and challenging at the right end of the table,” he said.
“It didn’t end the way we would have wanted but that’s football and I learned a lot from last season, getting back to loving my football and I can’t thank them enough for their help in my development.
“When I met up with the gaffer here it was clear the level of interest that Ayr had in me and that’s massive for any player. This is a great club that’s just off the back of a very successful season and when I knew the extent of their interest I was very excited to come and be part of it.
“The team on the park is one thing but when you see the progress being made elsewhere here that also plays an important part. I’ve got a few mates who live down here who go to the games and I know how much the team means to people in Ayr —- it’s a great club that is going places.”
Centre half Stanger qualifies to play for New Zealand through his Auckland-born mother, Bid.
He began his football career with Hamilton Academical in 2018 and has since had loan spells with Stirling Albion, East Kilbridge and Forfar Athletic before joining University of Sterling in 2021, who loaned him to Dumbarton in 2022, ahead of his move to Alloa Athletic.
READ MORE: OlyWhites defender George Stanger to play for his seventh Scottish club >>>>
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