Article by Nathan DurecA few days back, former Spurs defender William Gallas was unveiled as the new marquee player signing for Perth Glory in Australia’s A-League. The 36 year old player made his intentions known right away, stating in his introductory press conference that he was not in Australia to relax, but to win a championship.
The Glory joined the A-League for the 2005-2006 season, but has not had the best of luck so far. The club had played in the former National Soccer League before this, but left after the league folded. The A-League has seen a resurgence of sorts in popularity for the sport. Unfortunately, this has not translated into productive seasons for Perth. In the ten team league, Perth has only managed to finish above 5th spot once, reaching 3rd in 2011-2012. They have spent the majority of their A-League life so far in the bottom half.
The signing of Gallas is hoped to be a push towards a change in form. A marquee player signing is similar in many respects to a designated player in the MLS. Only a portion of the salary counts against the salary cap of the club. It is believed that Gallas has signed a 1 year, $700,000 AU (approximately £405,000) contract. Gallas does know what it takes to play for a championship club; however, it has been a while since he held a cup over his head.
There are also a few doubters to his signing. Some supporters and pundits have questioned paying that much in a capped league for a player who is 36 years old. Gallas will likely have many following his first few matches to see whether he is value for the money paid.
Gallas has not played a competitive match since April 4, 2013 when Spurs faced FC Basel in the Europa League. It will take a while before he is match ready, but he does hope to feature before the month is up.
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