James McGarry sees a return to Wellington Phoenix as a real possibility

James McGarry is back to New Zealand. The 22-year-old left back returned to his homeland after his contract with Willem II from Netherlands was terminated after spending two years in Europe.

McGarry arrived in Netherlands back in 2018 after being a regular starter in the Wellington Phoenix Reserves in the ISPS Handa Premiership for four straight seasons. He did not have many opportunities to show his talent at Willem II’s senior squad.

He is not linked to any team at the moment, but he has already shown his interest on returning to Wellington Phoenix – “If I got another opportunity to go back to the Phoenix, absolutely I’d love to grab it with both hands and finish some unfinished business. If it comes up, the door’s definitely not closed on my end,” he stated in interview to NZ Herald.

James would be a huge addition for Wellington Phoenix. However he must find a hard opponent in the fight for the left back: Liberato Cacace. Cacace is one of the most promising players from Oceania and it seems that he will not stay in the Phoenix for so long, which turns McGarry into a very good option to replace him.

McGarry was part of the U20 National Team squad that played the 2017 U20 FIFA World Cup held in South Korea. He made his official debut for the New Zealand National Football Team at senior level last year in the 1-0 loss against Lithuania.