After months of speculation, Socceroos legend Tim Cahill has officially been unveiled as a Melbourne City player.
Cahill has signed a three-year deal with City, which will see him part of the club until 2019.
He has signed a two-year playing contract, with the third year of his contract set to be part of City's coaching team.
The 36-year-old is Australia'sย most successful player, withย 47 goals in 91 appearances for the Socceroos.
The deal is believed to be in the vicinity of Alessandro Del Piero's $3.5 million per season Sydney FC contract.
MELBOURNE HERE I COME ๐๐ฝ๐๐ฝ๐๐ฝโฝ๏ธ @MelbourneCity @ManCity @NYCFC its been nearly 20 years away from Australia #Together pic.twitter.com/e0qaXASKJ0
— Tim Cahill AO (@Tim_Cahill) August 10, 2016
โI am incredibly excited to have signed with Melbourne City and ultimately the City Football Group. ย There is real ambition and purpose here, qualities that are immensely important to me," Cahill said.
โThe Club is completely attuned to the opportunity for the game in this country; investing significantly in facilities, the development of young players and in giving back at the grassroots level.
"For me that makes this the ideal place to be. ย I am here to contribute as much as I can to both the Club and, where possible, to the further development of football here in Australia.
โMy immediate focus is on getting to know my team-mates and our pre-season preparations. I'm excited about the quality of the squad that I am joining and the opportunity to win silverware. I'm looking forward to the challenge of testing and proving myself in this league.โ
FFA CEO David Gallop said Cahill's signature is hugely important for the growth of the league.
โTim Cahill is a huge addition to the A-League and to Melbourne City FC. A player with his passion for the game, and the records that he holds for the Socceroos, is going to be a tremendous asset,โ Gallop said.
โThe A-League is the fastest growing league in Australia. With two million people now playing football every year, the future is bright for our sport, and players like Tim Cahill are only going to accelerate that growth. โHe is a fantastic role model for young Australians who aspire to play at the top level.โ
Cahill will begin training with his new teammates on Monday, August 15.
