Brooke-Smith: 'A Dream Come True'
For Brooke-Smith, sealing a move to the Championship represents a major career ambition.
"If someone told me when I first signed to the Phoenix two years ago that I'd be heading to the Championship after my second season I would have bitten their hand off," said Brooke-Smith.
The attacker noted a personal connection to English football that made the transfer particularly appealing.
"My dad's side of the family are English and growing up I watched a lot of the Championship, so it's going to be unreal to play in it," said Brooke-Smith.
Brooke-Smith admitted that informing his head coach about his departure was challenging.
"If I could have stayed with Greeny, I would have loved to," said Brooke-Smith.
He reflected warmly on his working relationship with Greenacre across international and domestic setups.
"He's one of my favourite coaches.
He was my coach at the under-20 World Cup and we had a really good relationship," said Brooke-Smith.
The teenager praised Greenacre's guidance during his transition to the senior environment in Wellington.
"It was great being able to work with him week-in, week-out when he took over as interim head coach at the end of last season," said Brooke-Smith.
Brooke-Smith indicated that he plans to maintain contact with his former manager.
"I respect him so much and I'm sure we'll stay in touch as he knows the English game so well," said Brooke-Smith.
The winger expressed deep appreciation for the opportunities provided to him by Wellington Phoenix.
