Khari Stephenson till AIK

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Khari Stephenson till AIK

AIK Fotboll AB har tillsammans med Agent 03 AB förvärvat Jamaicas landslagsman Khari Stephenson från GAIS.

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Avtalet mellan AIK och Khari Stephenson löper på fyra år.

- Det här visar att AIK idag är en mycket attraktiv klubb för spelare som vill fortsätta sin utveckling. Vi är jätteglada över att kunna knyta till oss Stephenson, säger sportchefen Ola Andersson.

Khari kom till GAIS inför fjolåret och spelade 25 matcher, varav 23 från start.

- Med Khari får vi ytterligare en kvalitetsspelare till truppen. En komplett fotbollsspelare med ledaregenskaper, säger chefstränare Rikard Norling.

- Det känns spännande att komma till AIK. Jag skall ge allt för att klubben skall nå nya framgångar, säger Khari Stephenson.

Text: AIK Fotboll
Foto: Johan Wibäck
[070111]

[Sir X]

RE: Khari Stephenson till AIK

Translation

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SPAN class=TopStory>Stephenson joins AIK on four-year deal</SPAN>
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>Ian Burnett, Sports Editor
Monday, January 15, 2007
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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=210 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>Khari Stephenson(right) challenges England's Michael Owen during last year's friendly International at Old Trafford in Manchester, England.</SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>Reggae Boy Khari Stephenson will begin pre-season training with his new Swedish club AIK Stockholm today after passing a medical and inking a four-year deal on Thursday.
Stephenson, who turns 26 on Thursday, moved to the capital city after completing just the first of a three-year contract with Goteborgs Atlet &amp; Idrottssalskap (GAIS) on a US$1 million transfer.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The value of Stephenson's contract was not disclosed, but the Observer understands that it contains the usual signing and appearance bonuses, a mandatory step up clause each year, which makes it a much better deal than his previous contract.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"It is a fine deal for now," the usually unassuming Stephenson told the Observer from his Swedish home last evening. "It is a good deal for me," he added.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Stephenson, a product of the Real Mona youth system, who played Manning Cup at Wolmer's, Collegiate football at Williams College in the US, before being drafted by the Kansas City Wizards in the US Major League Soccer, explained yesterday that at first he had "reservations" about the length of the contract, as he "didn't want to end his career in Sweden".<P class=StoryText align=justify>However, he soon conceded that AIK was a "bigger club" than GAIS, and it would give him more exposure as it is a club that a lot of scouts follow.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"As with any contract, I have to be a professional and my first goal is to win games and titles with AIK. But you can never be comfortable with what you have unless you are in the best club in the world," he said.<P class=StoryText align=justify>AIK finished runners-up in the league last year and are in the qualifying stages of the UEFA Cup. They are considered one of the biggest clubs in the country, with a Stadium reported capacity of 30,000 and an average attendance 22,000 last season, the highest in the league.<P class=StoryText align=justify>His former club finished 10th last year and the new season begins on April 1.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Stephenson, who has a BSc in Economics, arrived in the Scandinavian country last year when he signed with GAIS after falling out of favour with his previous club, the Kansas City Wizards. He is reported to have played in 25 games for GAIS, all but two from the first whistle, and impressed throughout the season, leading to interest from AIK.<P class=StoryText align=justify>His fall-out with the Wizards came about after he was reportedly used in different positions. In addition, the MLS franchise wanted the six-foot-three-inch player "to accept a salary cut of almost half to accommodate a Finland striker, which affected his performance", claimed the player's father, Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) president, Ambassador AB Stewart Stephenson.<P class=StoryText align=justify>He did not renew his contract with the MLS and that paved the way for his opportunity in Sweden.