Melbourne Victory is pleased to announce that striker Kenny Athiu has signed a two-year contract with the club.



Originally on-loan from Heidelberg United, the 25 year-old took time to adapt to the rigors of professional football but hit his straps late in the campaign, delivering some outstanding displays off the bench.



"Kenny absolutely deserves this new contract," said Head Coach Kevin Muscat.



"He's worked incredibly hard over the past six months to get himself into a position where he now has the physical capabilities to play at the top level.



"We saw him come into his own late in the season, not only getting himself a couple of goals, but more importantly he made an impact off the bench and influenced games."



A trait that was never more evident than in the dying stages of April's epic semi-final win over the Sky Blues.



"Not many would realise this, but it was actually Kenny's desperation that won the ball for Terry Antonis to score the winner against Sydney FC and get us into the Grand Final," added Muscat.



"Kenny's a big boy who moves well across the ground, so he's going to cause plenty of headaches and we're looking forward to seeing what he can do with a full pre-season under his belt."



Athiu is looking forward to building on his handful of senior appearances.



"I really enjoyed my first taste of professional football last season, it was a big step up but I had great support from everyone at the club," said Athiu.



"I'm thankful to Kevin for the opportunity to extend my stay here and I'm determined to repay his faith in me."



Athiu is presently on leave and will return for pre-season training the week commencing July 9.