Max Burgess has reunited with former mentor Mark Rudan at Western United, signing a two-year deal with the new Hyundai A-League club on Monday.

Burgess, 24, became a key figure in Rudan’s tenure at Wellington Phoenix after he was plucked from NPL NSW outfit Sydney Olympic last October.

Due to the form of Sarpreet Singh, Burgess found his minutes restricted earlier in the season, but he enjoyed an eye-catching finish to the campaign and started five of Phoenix’s last seven fixtures.

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A Sydney FC youth prospect, Burgess had previously struggled to make his mark in the Hyundai A-League and managed a combined six appearances for the Sky Blues and Newcastle Jets in 2014/15.

He moved to Olympic in 2017 and after a stint in Portugal with Uniao, the Sydney-born midfielder returned to Belmore and played a major role in the club winning the 2018 NPL NSW Championship.

“Max Burgess is another talented Australian player to join our new club and we have no doubt our fans will welcome his skill and midfield talent,” Rudan said.

“Max is very versatile and will provide our coaching staff with plenty of options. He’s only 24, and has remained dedicated to the game, making it to the A-League the hard way – coming up through local competitions in Sydney.”

Burgess joins star Polish goalkeeper Filip Kurto as the second of Rudan’s former Phoenix pupils to join the Western United boss for the club’s inaugural season.

“I feel like I really stepped up this past year and I’m looking forward to taking my performance to another level,” Burgess said.

“I’m hoping to show my new coaches and fans that I will fight hard for them.”