Adelaide United legend Craig Goodwin has re-joined the Isuzu UTE A-League club in what represents an enormous coup for South Australian football and the A-Leagues.
Goodwin returns home to Adelaide on a three-year contract following a two-season stint with Al-Wehda in the Saudi Professional League.
It is a major coup for Adelaide, new Reds boss Airton Andrioli and the A-Leagues after the Socceroos star made history prior to departing Coopers Stadium in 2023.
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The 33-year-old remains Adelaide’s all-time leading goalscorer with 60 goals from 168 appearances across all competitions. He is also the club’s also all-time leading A-Leagues goalscorer (53).
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“I’m just really excited to be back home at the club I love the most. There’s still unfinished business — I want to win another Championship, and another Australia Cup here,” Goodwin said.
“Nothing means more to me than bringing success to Adelaide United.
“Playing in front of a packed-out Coopers Stadium has always meant the world to me, and I’ll give everything I have to deliver silverware again.”
Goodwin was a key figure in Adelaide’s maiden Championship win in 2016 and starred in the 2018 Australia Cup final, scoring a match-winning brace and earning the Mark Viduka Medal.
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Before moving to Saudi Arabia, Goodwin won the Isuzu UTE A-League’s Johnny Warren Medal after scoring 15 goals and supplying 10 assists one of the great individual campaigns for Adelaide, who advanced to the Semi Finals in 2022-23, despite a lingering bout of osteitis pubis.
He also became just the third player in A-League Men history to tally at least 10 goals and 10 assists in a season.
At Al-Wehda, Goodwin scored 12 goals and tallied 10 assists in 49 appearances.
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“It’s fantastic to welcome Craig back home. He knows the Adelaide United DNA inside and out and will immediately be a leader both on and off the pitch,” said Adelaide’s head of football Marius Zanin.
“Craig is a true great of our club, and having him back with us is a huge moment for everyone involved – our players, our staff, and most importantly, our fans.
“We’ve always stayed in contact since he left, knowing deep down that we’d bring him back home eventually. Now felt like the right time – not just sentimentally, but strategically. We’re bringing him back to help strengthen the squad and play a key role in our push for more silverware.”
Technical director Ernest Faber added: “This is great news for our club. Craig brings top-level experience, leadership, and a winning mentality that will help us all go to the next level.
“He knows what it means to wear the Adelaide shirt and has already proven he can make a difference at the highest level. We are very happy to welcome him back home.”
