North a new direction for Roar with Paartalu on the outer
SOCCEROOS defender Jade North trained with his new Brisbane Roar teammates yesterday, but midfielder Erik Paartalu was not one of them.
Paartalu, who has played 85 consecutive games for the Roar since signing in 2010, is on the outer after coach Mike Mulvey told him to train with the club's youth team until his much talked about move to China was sorted out.
North, who has played 39 times for the Socceroos, last played in the A-League in 2011 when he appeared in 19 games for the Wellington Phoenix.
The 31-year-old has spent the past two years playing in the J-League with FC Tokyo and Consadole Sapporo.
He's in line to make his debut against the high-flying Western Sydney Wanderers at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium on Sunday.
"I'm looking forward to getting back on the pitch and getting back to where it all started," North, who played as a teenager with the Brisbane Strikers in the National Soccer League, said.
"I'm over the moon to be back in Brisbane."
