Rene Ferguson joins Taylor Regan for Charlestown Azzurri's run at NPL title

Regan, returning from a stint in Malaysia, was joining hometown club Azzurri at the start of the season before the Jets signed him to their A-League squad.

The 33-year-old is now free to link with Charlestown in the second window for player points system changes from June 28-30.

Ferguson, who was the league's player of the year and players' player two seasons ago, took time off this year after becoming a father for the first time.

However, he said he was returning to training on Tuesday night and was keen to come back in reserve grade ahead of the window.

Ferguson, whose versatility will give Azzurri added depth across the pitch, said Regan was among those to coax him back to playing.

"That's another big reason," Ferguson said.

"Him and me started in NSW schoolboys together, we played at Azzurri when we were 12, and he hit me up on social media, saying what are you doing? Are you playing?

"All the young boys have been hitting me up, and the coach [Graham Law], saying get to training, we're doing well and all this, so I'm going to come and have another crack. It's time to get back to footy.

"The plan is to have a few games in ressies, get the legs up to scratch and hopefully put some pressure on some of those boys up the top.

"They are doing really well this year, so hopefully we can keep up the top and keep pressuring teams like Magic."

Charlestown, on 19 points from nine games, are second on the table behind Broadmeadow, who went ahead on goal difference after a 5-0 demolition of Lake Macquarie on Sunday.

Ferguson hoped to be part of a finals run and offer even more late-season depth to Charlestown, who have become genuine premiership contenders this year after the addition of A-League talent Nigel Boogaard and Jacob Melling.

"The last two, three years we've been pressuring the top teams, we've been in the finals or projected finals, and we should have probably got more out of that year when we lost to Maitland in the semi-final [in 2020]," he said.

"So we've been thereabouts, so hopefully this year, with the depth and likes of Boogs and Melling - they are really steering the ship - and still Dom [Bizzarri] and [Matt] Tull are there - there's a good mix of those guys and the young ones.

"I've missed it. I still watched the games, so it will be nice to get back to training, a bit of banter and a bit of football."

Azzurri, who are out of the Australia Cup, host Lake Macquarie in the league on Sunday.

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