Former Socceroos star Stan Lazaridis says he has unfinished business at Perth Glory after being unveiled as the club's new football director.
Lazaridis' appointment marks the first significant move under new owner Ross Pelligra, who purchased the A-League club in February after previous owner Tony Sage handed back the licence last year amid ongoing financial woes.
Glory were a powerhouse club of the now-defunct NSL, winning three league championships and two premierships.
But the A-League era hasn't been as kind, with sub-par on-field results and dwindling crowds hurting the club's finances.
Lazaridis spent most of his playing career in England, with successful stints at West Ham and Birmingham City, while earning 60 caps for the Socceroos.
The speedy winger joined Glory in 2006 but managed just 13 games in two injury-plagued seasons before retiring.
Lazaridis was keen to join Glory's off-field team to help revive the club's fortunes but didn't see eye to eye with the "previous regime".
It's a different story under Pelligra, who has embraced Lazaridis's passion for his hometown club.
"For me personally, there's unfinished business at the club," Lazaridis said.
"I'm going to work my damnedest to make this club great again.
"The board have given me full trust. I think when that is given to somebody, you want to protect that and work even harder.
"I want the books to balance, but I also want a competitive side.
"Top of the list is looking at the player squad, because we're actually quite thin on the roster, and looking at how we can strengthen for next season."
Although Lazaridis wasn't at Glory during their NSL days, he noticed from afar the impact the club had on Australian soccer.
"We were the pinnacle of the league. We were the Manchester United, the Liverpool of Australia," Lazaridis said.
"We brought something to Australia that was never seen before." Pelligra believes Lazaridis’s experience and expertise will prove to be invaluable assets for the club. Glory's men's team is set to miss the finals for a fourth straight season, given they are 10 points adrift of sixth spot with six games remaining.
Perth's women's team are out of the running for finals this season after enduring a 10-match winless run.
