IRISH STRIKER ANDY Keogh has made an unlikely return to A-League side Perth Glory.
Keogh was an initial success for the Australian side, going on a prolific goalscoring run, but subsequently was the subject of controversy at the club.
Last February, the team fined the 29-year-old Dubliner the maximum possible amount, after Keogh was arrested at a nightclub in Adelaide, before the ex-Leeds striker saw his contract terminated, having been at the centre of a salary cap scandal.
After a short stint in the Thai Premier League, Keogh has re-signed on a two-year deal with Perth, however the 30-times capped Ireland international may not play this season, after the club’s request to sign him as a guest player was rejected by the Australian FA.
The struggling side currently have an injury crisis up front, with Dutch striker Guyon Fernandez among the absentees, but Keogh will only be eligible if one of the club’s other players is either sold or put on the long-term injury list.
“Once we became aware that Andy’s playing stint at Thai Premier League club Ratchaburi had come to an end – we immediately made contact to get him back at the club and re-join his family in sunny Perth,” Glory CEO Peter Filopoulos said.
We did not want to wait till the end of the season and risk losing him to another club.
“While our visa spots for the current season are full, we have not given up hope that Andy Keogh could be playing football wearing a Perth Glory jersey in the 2015-16 season.
“We have until February 2 to register him within the January transfer window, should the opportunity materialise.”
Keogh said he was thrilled with a return to West Australia after leaving with a “heavy heart”.
“I’ve always said that I left Perth with a heavy heart. My stint in Asia didn’t work out the way I intended, however I’m glad to have teamed up yet again with [coach] Kenny Lowe and the boys at Perth Glory,” he said.
“I am committed to helping Perth Glory become a powerhouse in the A-League and pledge to do my best to see it return to its glory days.”
He will be on the 457. Has to do 3 months on the farm first