Former Chelsea and Arsenal defender William Gallas will join Perth Glory on a one-year deal.
The defender takes up the international Marquee position for Glory, after he denied other more lucrative deals from the likes of the USA’s MLS.
Gallas, 36, said he was thrilled to be making the move Down Under.
“After speaking to (Glory coach) Alistair Edwards and (CEO) Jason Brewer, the passion and ambition in the voices of both gentlemen enticed me to this new challenge in Australia,” he said.
“I hope to help my new teammates and club achieve success in this season and hope to help deliver to the fans of Perth the championship they are looking for.
Brewer said the club had been involved in weeks of negotiations to try and secure the deal. The signing shows the maturity of the A-League and its changing status overseas says Brewer.
“It demonstrates the growing reputation of the Hyundai A-League and its ability to attract world-class players.”
The arrivals of veteran international stars Alessandro Del Piero, Shinji Ono and Pablo Contreras have all boosted the international appeal of the young League.
Glory hope Gallas’ arrival will help spark renewed interest in the club, which has struggled to regularly attract big crowds since the inception of the A-League.
The ninth-placed Glory will play their first home game of the season on Sunday when they host Melbourne Heart at nib Stadium.
