“Steven reads the game well and has excellent speed,” Merrick said. “He’s previously been a defensive midfielder whose distribution is good and he also possesses great maturity.

“He performed very well with Preston, winning the Foxtel Cup grand final in his first year as centre back.

"We’ve found that the quality of players coming through the Foxtel Cup is very high, and Steve is reminiscent of Rodrigo Vargas in his rise through the ranks.

"We’ve always attempted to sign local Victorian players as our first preference and we’re very pleased to welcome Steven on board.”

Six foot one Pace, 24, said he was delighted with the opportunity to join the A-League Champions.

“I went to the Victory game at Telstra Dome on Friday night and got butterflies, so to go out there as a Victory player is a very exciting prospect,” Pace said.

“I’ve already received calls from my Preston team mates wishing me well. Playing in the A-League is an ambition for us all, so they’re all very happy for me.”