Perth Glory have announced the signature of 27-year-old former Western United winger Lachlan Wales on a deal set to run until the end of the 2024-25 Isuzu UTE A-League season, subject to international clearance.
The 27-year-old was officially unveiled as a new Glory signing on the first day of the January transfer window, having been spotted in the stands at the club’s 2-1 home loss to Western Sydney Wanderers on Tuesday night.
Wales, who starred for the Olyroos at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, joins the club after six months at K-League 2 outfit Gyeongnam FC in South Korea.
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Wales’ most recent stint in the Isuzu UTE A-League was at Western United, where he spent four years and won the 2021-22 Championship. Before his time at Western, Wales spent two seasons at Melbourne City, having originally made his Isuzu UTE A-League debut with Central Coast Mariners in 2017.
Wales is the first signing of Glory’s expected recruitment spree in the January window and, upon the confirmation of his arrival at the club, is eager to help turn his new side’s fortunes around after a challenging start to the 2024-25 season.
“Speaking to everyone here and hearing how ambitious the coaches are and where they want to see the club grow to, I want to jump on board now as quickly as I can and I know there are good times ahead here,” he said.
“I’m really looking forward to meeting all the fans.
“The times I’ve come to Perth as an away player during my A-League career, I’ve seen some really good crowds here and that atmosphere really gives the home players a lift.
“It would be great to see as many people as possible getting along to the next few games and hopefully we can get some results and really build that fan base back up.
“I just want to fit into the boss’s system as quickly as I can and get to know all the players.
“I’m lucky enough to have played with some of the boys here and against a lot of them, so I know how they play and I’ve been watching the recent games.
“I know the qualities I can bring to the team and it’s not just on the field, it’s off the field helping the younger players and getting them to understand professional football and the ups and downs of it.
“Once you ride those disappointing times, there are good times around the corner and I’m here to help them with that and on the field, to bring a lot of energy.
“I’m quick and dynamic and hopefully I can get the fans off their seats.”
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Glory Football Director Stan Lazaridis says Wales is a player the club had been tracking for more than a year prior to sealing his signature in the January window.
“Lachie has shown that he has the ability to be one of the very best attacking midfielders in the A-League and we’re really excited to see him performing in the famous purple,” he said.
“He’s quick, provides top-class delivery and can play anywhere across the front third, which is obviously a huge plus.
“We’ve been tracking him for over a year as he exactly fits the profile of player we are looking to bring in and I believe he is a signing that our members and fans should be very excited about.”
With his first new signing of the window sealed, Perth Glory head coach David Zdrilic is excited to see what the experienced winger can bring to an attack boasting Socceroos striker Adam Taggart.
“Lachie is a very gifted player who knows what’s required to win the A-League,” Zdrilic said, “and he’s also a great character who will complement our predominantly young group.
“We tried to sign him at the start of the season, but were unfortunately unable to, so we’re delighted that we’ve now managed to bring him in.
“His arrival will significantly enhance our efforts to deliver major on-field improvement during the remainder of the current campaign.”
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