NorthEast United FC’s leading goal-scorer from Season 2 of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL), Nicolas Velez has joined Croatian giants HNK Hajduk Split. The frontman caused numerous headaches for opposition defences in Hero ISL 2015 as the Highlanders narrowly missed out on a semi-final berth.HNK Hajduk Split president Marin Brbic hailed the arrival of the pacey forward as the perfect addition to their squad. “He started playing in River Plate's academy where he stayed for 11 years and later he had an interesting football path. By bringing him to Hajduk, we’ve got what we needed,” Brbic told the club website.Velez, who scored five goals and provided an assist for NorthEast in Hero ISL 2015, was quick to return the compliment. "I'm happy coming to Hajduk. I want to thank the board, the president and the coach for giving me a chance to play for such a great club. I believe that this is a step forward in my career,” 25-year-old Velez said.“I had offers from Asia and a successful club from South America but when I was offered to come to Split, I had no doubts about accepting the offer. I wanted to play in Europe and I heard a lot of great things about Hajduk, the city of Split and the fans Torcida that are passionate and devoted to the club. This is a big chance for me. I always wanted to try my chances in Europe and now I’ve got a chance to do so.”Velez also spoke about his desire to get his first taste of the local derby against bitter-rivals Dinamo Zagreb. Having started his career in the youth setup of Argentinean side River Plate, Velez is no stranger to derbies of such magnitude. "I know that Dinamo is the biggest rival and I look forward to the derbies. It is similar to the Argentinean derbies between River [Plate] and Boca [Juniors]. It is good for the league that such a rivalry exists,” Velez said.
