Mark Birighitti has joined Dundee United on a two-year deal following a sensational A-League campaign with Central Coast Mariners.
While a relative unknown on these shores, Birighitti boasts a wealth of experience and is currently in the form of his life.
Courier Sport delves into the background of the stopper from Down Under.
An Olympic apprenticeship
Birighetti emerged through the esteemed Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) which, as well as producing scores of fine footballers, has crafted Commenwealth and Olympic champions in a host of disciplines.
Focusing solely on the round ball, former Celtic star Mark Viduka, ex-Rangers man Craig Moore and 96-times capped Socceroo Lucas Neill are all AIS alumni.
Mark Birighitti with a WORLDIE for the Mariners#CCM #CCMFC #ALeague #goalkeeper #goalkeepersaves #superstar #football #centralcoast #numberone pic.twitter.com/Np44fPxukk
— KeeperStash (@GkWarehouse) October 24, 2021
For a United connection, so is Adam Taggart.
With an auspicious apprenticeship under his belt, Birighitti went on to play for Adelaide United and Newcastle Jets in the A-League, getting close to 100 appearances under his belt in the Aussie top-flight.
A Fab influence
Following a brief dalliance with European football on loan with Varese in Serie B — Birighitti holds an Italian passport — he joined Swansea City in the summer of 2016.
He failed to make a senior outing for the Swans, who were in the English Premier League at the time. The closest he came was a Football League Trophy run-out for the U23 side, lining up with ex-SPFL men Jay Fulton, Stephen Kingsley, Ryan Blair and Botti Biabi.
Birighitti, reflecting on that period, recalled a bittersweet season in South Wales.
He told Neds Australia: “It was a fantastic experience, learning from one of the top goalkeepers in the English Premier League, Lukasz Fabianski, who I’m very close with.
“Now I’m a bit older and have a bit more experience, it probably wasn’t the best move for my career. I was young at the time and all I wanted to do was play football.”
Total football
Birighitti was afforded an opportunity to shine the following campaign, joining NAC Breda in the Eredivisie.
He counted former Ibrox flop Sadiq Umar among his teammates in the Netherlands.
He believes he is the best keeper in the A-League and his teammates are adamant that he should be in the Socceroos squad!
Mark Birighitti is in the best form of his career and wants to lead the Central Coast Mariners into the A-League Finals! pic.twitter.com/3mxJ8pXP7d
— Neds (@NedsAus) March 31, 2022
Perhaps the most memorable afternoon — for all the wrong reasons — was an 8-0 home defeat against irrepresible Ajax.
A Donny van de Beek hat-trick, Matthijs de Ligt’s double and goals from David Neres, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Lasse Schone did the damage.
Nevertheless, the formative campaign evidently stood him in good stead when he moved back Down Under
Wizard in Oz
After a year Breda, Birighitti joined Melbourne City, playing second fiddle to Eugene Galekovic for a season.
However, he reignited his career with a move to Central Coast Mariners in 2019.
He has been named A-League goalkeeper of the year for two successive campaigns — albeit sharing the prize with Andrew Redmayne in 2021/22 — and has gained rave reviews across the board.
None more so that from Mariners teammate and ex-Dundee striker Jason Cummings.
“He’s amazing. Since I’ve come to the club, you can see his quality,” said the former Rangers and Hibs marksman.
“I’ve been impressed with him. He should be playing at a higher level probably.
“And he obviously should be called up for the Socceroos as well.”
Capped once against China in 2013, Birighitti has similarly high regard for his own displays of late. His last Socceroo call-up came in October 2017.
Displaying the confidence any top stopper needs, he said: “I feel like I have been the best goalkeeper in the league for the past two seasons. To not get a look in [for Australia]? It is what it is.”
Could a switch to United boost those Aussie aspirations and perhaps even spark a late run for a place at the Qatar World Cup?
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