The club told au.fourfourtwo.com today that having a team in what is effectively the A-League's second tier competition was a priority for next season.

What's more, the club was willing to make a youth Phoenix side happen as soon as possible including providing some of the funding.

"This year the youth competition has been fantastic. Have a look at some of the Sydney boys who've come through," Phoenix CEO Tony Pignata said today.

"For us though, we've also not been able to play some of our players who're coming back from injury or haven't played for a while.

"And so when they're called in, they've had little or no match practise at all."

A case in point is Phoenix striker Costa Barbarouses. The Wellington-born whiz-kid scored his debut A-League goal in the side's 1-1 draw with the Reds last weekend.

Barbarouses made his debut for Ricki Herbert's side a year ago, yet he's had to wait an entire season for his second opportunity.

Being a fringe player has meant he's lacked match fitness at vital times. And after 80 minutes against Adelaide, he cramped up.

Wellington have a representative team in New Zealand's domestic competition the NZFC. However, due to regulations relating to player status, Phoenix are not allowed to farm out players to Team Wellington.

It's meant the club has been at a significant disadvantage compared to other A-League clubs which have fielded – and promoted – youth league players while giving first teamers valuable match fitness.

Phoenix met with FFA earlier this month and Pignata says there's more work to be done if the club can reach its goal of a Phoenix youth team.

"But we'd be prepared to enter a team as early as next season," he said. "And I think we should. We're part of the A-League so we should also have all the bells and whistles.

"In terms of cost, I don't think we're any different than Perth. Unfortunately it will be at a cost to us, but we're prepared to do it as the benefits far outweigh that."

It's estimated that a youth team costs around $300-400,000 per season to run.

Pignata added that talented Australian boys would be given an opportunity to play for Phoenix and confirmed there wouldn't be a Kiwis-only youth policy.

"Our aim is to win the A-League title," he said. "So there could be five, six, seven Aussie boys who haven't got youth league clubs that we could get over.

"If it's a feeder to the first team, it doesn't have to be all Kiwis. We're happy to look on merit.

"If Kiwi boys deserve it, great, if Aussie boys deserve it, then we'll look at them as well."

Pignata added: "When you consider this is only our second season and we're 90 minutes away from potentially being in the A-League finals, this shows we're worthy of not only being in the A-League but to have our own youth league team.

"All we're asking is to have the same rights as everyone else in the A-League."