He appeared by video link today to confirm his return and said he couldn't wait to join his new team-mates and rejoin the A-League.

"We decided to come back to Melbourne to play another season," he said today."My family loves Melbourne and we want to have fun again.

"It's exciting to play for Heart now, I'm very happy to be coming back to Australia. We're looking forward to building some good things over there.

"I know about Alex Terra and some players over there and I read a lot about them. I'm looking foward to building some very good things with my team-mates over there."

The former DC United and Philadelphia Union star has signed for the club on a two-year deal, joining Curtis Good and Mate Dugandzic as the latest additions to the Heart roster.

According to Head Coach John van ‘t Schip, Fred’s capture will provide Heart with the ideal creative outlet in the attacking third.

“Fred is a player who the people of Melbourne love and a player we have had an interest in since the club started.  He is a very athletic and skilful player who can change a match with his vision and running,” he said.

“Everyone in Melbourne knows his quality and we look forward to his contribution in the Red and White over the coming years.”

Playmaker Fred - who will be 32 by the time the 2011/12 season is underway - carved himself a place in Melbourne Victory folklore with four assists for striker Archie Thompson in the club's crushing 6-0 win over Adelaide United to claim their first Championship  in 2007.

It was the climax of an impressive debut season at Victory, despite an inauspicious three match ban for elbowing.

But the A-League salary cap meant Victory were unable to hold onto their new star and he left after just one season to move to the MLS in America and a spot at DC United (where he was later joined by Victory striker Danny Allsopp).

He returned briefly to the A-League in 2008 for a short stint as a guest player for Wellington Phoenix but that was cut short by the death of his father and he left after just three games and one goal.

Since then he has had a season with Philadelphia Union and a return to DC United after opting not to take up a contract at New England Revolution.

"The MLS is getting bigger now because we have a lot of big names in the league, " added Fred. "And the standard is getting better. I think it's about the same place [as the A-League].

He is understood to have been on US$150,000 a year in Washington but has signed a contract worth $200,000+ at Heart.