Melbourne Victory manager Grant Brebner has hailed defender Ryan Shotton as a “leader” at the club following the recent 0-0 draw with Western United.
The centre-half is a recent addition to the club and brings with him a plethora of experience playing in England, having featured for Stoke City, Birmingham City and Middlesbrough in the past.
While his initial start at the club may have appeared a tad bit shaky, the 32-year-old put in a strong shift in a 0-0 draw with Western United on Saturday, ensuring that his side kept their first clean sheet of the season.
The draw also marks the first time that Victory have taken points off United, as all three meetings between the two sides were won by the green and black side last season.
“He [Shotton] is a leader,” Brebner told the press.
“We need leaders. Last year when we played Western United in the hub we were beaten in the tunnel because they’ve got a presence about them, they’ve got some experienced players and Ryan certainly brings that to our team.
“He played really well tonight. Of course he’s sometimes a little bit casual and we have conversations about that, but he’s without a doubt shored up our defence and that’s our first clean sheet of the season.”
Melbourne Victory take on Brisbane Roar at the Dolphin Stadium next Saturday.
