Ivan Klasnic for Wellington Phoenix?

Following their relegation from the Premier League, Bolton Wanderers have not surprisingly released players - 12 of them in fact. While captain Kevin Davies and defender Sam Ricketts have signed on to stay at the Reebok, the likes of Gretar Steinsson, Paul Robinson and a few other average players have been released.

Then there's Ivan Klasnic.

Now I've watched a bit of Ivan Klasnic in the Premier League and must admit that I'm a bit of a fan of him. The Croatian footballer started out in Germany with FC St Pauli and Werder Bremen. He moved to Bolton Wanderers via Nantes in 2009 and scored 20 goals in 77 appearances, mostly as a sub with Kevin Davies being the lead striker.

However, Klasnic, the first footballer to play at a major tournament after undergoing a transplant - Klasnic appeared at EURO 2008 after a kidney transplant - is now a free agent, meaning a reasonable quality striker is now available on the market.

At 31, Klasnic is possibly starting to wind down his professional footballing career and after playing in Germany, France and England and missing out on Croatia's EURO 2012 squad, perhaps Klasnic might consider a move outside Europe.

What about the Wellington Phoenix who probably need an extra striker with Chris Greenacre taking on a reduced role at the Nix next season? The Hyundai A-League could suit Klasnic at this time - look how it has transformed Paul Ifil, a player who struggled to break into a Premier League side for a long time, into a bit of a star in this part of the world.

A Phoenix attack comprised of Ifil and Klasnic as spearheads with Brockie and Bertos providing the width could be very tantalising indeed.

So, Mr Morrisson and Morgan, time to contact Ivan Klasnic and offer him a trial at least in Wellington?

And finally..

Dear Mr Klasnic, 
Wellington's weather is a bit better than Bolton's. At least we have better cafes and pubs. Plus the Nix use an awesome gym on Taranaki Street called Les Mills. And people may recognise Orlando Bloom but just walk past. Speaking of Orlando Bloom, the Hobbit is being filmed right now in the same city. Oh and we've got a fine 30,000 plus seater stadium which is really close to the city? Plus we'll be playing a lot of Australian sides - meaning of lots of Croats like your mate, Josip Simunic. 


What more could you want?

Here's a YouTube video to get you convinced: