Perth Glory have bolstered their defensive stocks with the addition of Caltex Socceroos left-back James Meredith.
The 31-year-old has been a free agent since leaving English Championship side Millwall at the end of last season.
And Glory boss Tony Popovic has swooped, signing the two-cap Australian international on a one-year deal for the Hyundai A-League 2019/20 campaign.
“The boss [Tony Popovic] sold it to me,” Meredith said. “I really liked the way he talked about his plans for the future of the club and when I looked at the squad list, I know it’s a strong group of players.”
“We’re looking to become Champions. The club did so well to finish top last season, so we’ll be aiming for that again and I can’t wait to be a part of that campaign.”
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Meredith had been trialling with League One side Portsmouth in recent months but failed to win a deal at Fratton Park.
Glory seized the chance to sign the left-back, who was part of Australia’s 23-man squad at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
The Albury-born defender made his Caltex Socceroos debut in 2015, starting games against Kyrgyzstan and Bangladesh.
He has spent all of his senior career in the UK, playing for the likes of Derby County, Shrewsbury Town, York City, Bradford City and – most recently – Millwall.
Signed, sealed and delivered ?️
James Meredith has joined the Glory family! ?
Full article ? https://t.co/GjIHTopry1#OneGlory pic.twitter.com/GDdgf9Sk75
— Perth Glory FC (@PerthGloryFC) September 27, 2019
Meredith spent two seasons at The Den, making 82 appearances for the Lions.
Football Director Jacob Burns labelled the signing as a major coup.
“This move speaks volumes,” he said. “The fact we’re attracting players of Meredith’s calibre is a testament to our growth as a club.”
“With international experience to his name and having spent over a decade in the UK, we’ve signed a player of great pedigree at a prime time in his career.”
“This shows the endeavour of the club to build sustained success on the back of our Premiership-winning campaign. James is another high-quality signing ahead of a big season for us domestically and in the Asian Champions League.”
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