A-League: Jets coach Arthur Papas banks on worldly experience of recruit Dylan Murnane

It was the end of the 2015-16 season. Victory had finished sixth and were bounced out in the first week of the A-League finals.

Murnane played seven minutes off the bench in the last round the previous week - his first appearance since sound 15.

An unsuccessful trial at Wanderers followed. After four development seasons and 24 games, the Victory youth product's time in the A-League was seemingly over.

Now, 26, Murnane has been given a lifeline by Jets coach Arthur Papas.

Only this time, he has five years and nearly 100 professional games under his belt - albeit in countries and leagues most A-League fans know little about. He spent two seasons at Kongsvinger in the Norwegian second division before three years in Finland.

One of a host of new faces brought in by Papas, Murnane trained with his teammates for the first time on Saturday after completing 14 days in quarantine.

"His opportunity closed up and the good thing about Dylan was that he could have fallen out of the game and stayed in the second tier here, but he was that desperate to be a professional footballer, he packed his bags and went to countries and places people don't try," Papas said.

Murnane flew 27 hours around the globe to Kongsvinger - a town of 17,885 - with nothing more than an offer to trial.

"He provides us with much needed back up," Kongsvinger sporting director Espen Nystuen said in confirming that Murnane had been signed for the remainder of the 2016 season. "Now we have half a year to get better acquainted with him."

The left back went on to play 29 games, including a cup final, during a breakout 18 months in Norway.

From there, Murnane moved to Finland on a two-year deal at IFK Mariehamn where he scored three goals in 60 appearances.

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He joined Helsinki last season and was part of their championship drive before offered a home-coming by Papas.

"He did extremely well," Papas said. "He is 26 years old and has amassed more than 100 games of professional football across three different countries. He has built certain experience you probably can't get from guys who aren't playing week-in, week-out or playing semi-professional."

Murnane is set to battle teenager Lucas Mauragis for the left fullback or wingback role at the Jets after the departure of Connor O'Toole to Sydney FC.

Mauragis along with fellow teenager Archie Goodwin set the A-League alight in the final stages of last season.

Promoted to the starting side for the final three games, he scored a goal in a 2-0 win over the Mariners and supplied two assists - more than O'Toole delivered in 22 starts.

Former Perth utility Dane Ingham has also played at left back.

Fresh from a history-making Olympics campaign with New Zealand, Ingham joined the group for training on Friday.

"It has been a positive week for us to be able to get some of these boys into the group," Papas said. "It's a step forward. I have been through quarantine myself and know how difficult that is.

"Dylan finished playing in Finland about three weeks ago and Dane has come off an Olympics program."

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