Swansea sign Aussie 'keeper

London (AFP) – Australian international goalkeeper Mark Birighitti signed for Premier League side Swansea on a free transfer on Monday to become the fourth senior stopper on the club’s books.

The 25-year-old — capped once — signed a two-year contract with the Swans after leaving A-League outfit Newcastle Jets.

He faces a battle with three others for the number one spot — Polish international Lukasz Fabianski, Kristoffer Nordfeldt and Gerhard Tremmel — having played under one of Swansea manager Francesco Guidolin’s assistant coaches, Gabriele Ambrosetti, in Italy.

“I worked with Gabriele in Italy at Varese, where he was the club’s sporting director,” Birighitti told the Swansea website.

“He’s a fantastic person and I’m looking forward to working closely with him again,” added Birighitti, who spent six months at the Italian club.

“Before coming here I knew there would be strong competition at the club.

“But my plan is to take each training session as they come and try to be better than them. I have to make sure when the opportunity comes that I take the opportunity with both hands and don’t look back.”  

Birighitti was named in the A-League’s team of the season last term.