Perth Glory have signed central defender Aleksandar Susnjar for the A-League Men season in the first recruitment move under new coach Alen Stajcic.
Susnjar notched 50 ALM appearances for Macarthur FC over the past three seasons and he also boasts significant overseas experience having played for clubs in Lithuania, Romania, Czechia, Slovakia and South Korea.
A commanding aerial presence at 192cm, Susnjar represented Serbia at under-17 level before declaring for Australia.
His sole appearance for the Socceroos came in a friendly against Norway in 2018.
During his one season in South Korea, Susnjar helped Busan IPark secure promotion back to K-League 1.
The 28-year-old was born in Perth, and he's looking forward to returning home.
"Coming back home is something that I’ve always considered but just haven’t had the opportunity to do," Susnjar said in a statement.
"Last year was a bit of a hard year for me, but coming back to Perth and being around family, I feel like I can get back on the park and keep moving forward.
"Personally, I’m here to do my best and help the team.
"Working together, I think aiming for the finals is something that’s achievable for us.
"I went to Glory games when I was a kid and did a year in the youth academy, so I’ve been around the club before and I’ve always followed the A-League, so I know what’s going on."
Stajcic, who was appointed as coach in early August following the departure of Ruben Zadkovich, said Susnjar was an important addition to the squad.
"Aleks will add a vast amount of experience into our team having played in both Europe and in the A-League and made over 200 first team appearances," Stajcic said.
"Having another Perth local re-connect with our club is an important part of our vision moving forward."
Glory are still yet to finalise a new owner after Tony Sage handed back the licence in July.
Perth's campaign gets underway at home to Newcastle on October 22.
