Ben Halloran re-signs with A-League club Adelaide United

Ben Halloran has resisted overtures from A-League rivals to sign a fresh two-year deal with Adelaide United.

Ben Halloran celebrates a goal against Melbourne City last month Picture: AAP

Ben Halloran has resisted overtures from A-League rivals to sign a fresh two-year deal with Adelaide United.

The former Socceroo, who joined United two years ago, will stay in Adelaide until the end of the 2021-22 season.

“We are building in the right direction, I’m excited for the future,” Halloran said in a statement on Wednesday.

Halloran, who has scored 10 goals in 21 matches in the FFA Cup and league this season, had been targeted by several A-League clubs.

United’s football director Bruce Djite said the 27-year-old’s decision to re-sign was a coup for the club.

“Recruiting good people is just as, if not more, important than just recruiting good footballers,” Djite said.

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“In Ben we have the best of both as he is a very popular person within our change room, but also the league, whilst also showing on the pitch why he was so highly sought after.

“Ben wanting to stay with us says a lot about what we’re building here in Adelaide.”

Halloran’s former team Brisbane Roar will face English Premier League outfits Crystal Palace and West Ham United after they were confirmed as opponents in an inaugural Queensland-based round robin tournament in July.

Coach Robbie Fowler has challenged his men to take it to the Premier League clubs.

The Roar will play Crystal Palace in Townsville on July 11 before a clash with West Ham on the Gold Coast on July 15. The London clubs will then meet at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on July 18, with a points system across the three games to determine the winner of the inaugural Queensland Champions Cup.

Fowler said it was the mismatch he and his players had all dreamed of. “Let’s be realistic, we’re up against it, against bona fide Premier League teams,” he said.

“But if you go out there with a defeatist attitude then I don’t think you should be playing.

“This is what the players want and what I want as a coach.” The Townsville visit will be Fowler’s first since his playing days with the now- extinct Northern Fury, while the London clubs will enjoy a unique pre-season preparation in Australia.

“It’s not only a great opportunity for West Ham United to play two exciting games in front of our fans down under, it’s also a great opportunity to visit a beautiful country which I know loves their sport and is extremely knowledgeable about football,” West Ham manager David Moyes said.

“I’ve had the pleasure of going to Brisbane before and it was a fantastic place with warm and friendly people.

“I’m very much looking forward to going back with West Ham United for what will be an important part of our preparations for the 2020/21 season.” Roar chief executive David Pourre lauded the initiative as a coup for the sport across Queensland.

“Brisbane Roar prides itself on being a football club for all of Queensland and we are looking forward to playing two exciting fixtures in Townsville and the Gold Coast in July,” he said.

“It is a unique opportunity for Brisbane to also be hosting a fixture featuring two of England’s most famous clubs.”

AAP