Phoenix desperate to lock down Rudan as rivals circle

Wellington Phoenix are desperate to keep hold of Mark Rudan with the club hoping to stave off the approaches of rival sides by tying the the head coach to a new long-term deal.

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Rudan has helped transform the Phoenix from cellar dwellers to a top-six side in his first season at the helm of the Kiwi A-League side.

The Former Sydney FC and Adelaide United defender had been long linked with A-League coaching roles due to his success at National Premier League level with Sydney United, but no one could have predicted the 43-year-old's instant impact in Wellington.

His success has caught the eye of a number of clubs in Australia and abroad with Rudan linked with incoming expansion side Western Melbourne as well as Adelaide United.

The Phoenix boss has remained coy when questioned about his future with Wellington, stating only that he is contracted to the New Zealand-based side for another season.

Wellington general manager David Dome re-iterrated that Rudan had a two-year deal with the club and told NZ website Stuff that plans are in motion to extend his stay with the Phoenix.

"We're working extremely hard to pull together something that would make Mark want to say there's a long-term future for him here," he said.

"Ideally that's what we all want, because once you find a coach that can deliver the results that the board has been demanding for some time, you want to try and hold onto them, and we will do our utmost to try and pull together something that is going to keep Mark interested and keep him here.

"Now there are challenges with his family [who live in Sydney] and we'll have to try and resolve those in due course as well."

Rudan's family could prove to be a hurdle too high for the Phoenix after he last month said he wouldn't have agreed to move across the Tasman if he knew how much of a toll being away from his wife and kids would have on him.

A return to Sydney could also very much be on the cards for Rudan as he has strong ties to expansion club Macurthur-South West Sydney who will enter the league in 2020 when the breakout A-League boss will be a free-agent.

Sam Krslovic, the Macurthur director, was President at Sydney United where Rudan's success got him noticed. 

While Rudan's coaching future is sure to keep tongues wagging, the Wellington coach will have his focus squarely on securing a first finals berth for the Phoenix in four seasons.

The club's next match is a trip to McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle on Thursday night for a clash against a Jets side coming off a 5-1 demolition of Western Sydney.

Wellington go into A-League round 18 in sixth place with an eight point advantage over the seventh placed Jets.