Moore, 31, who spent the last two seasons with English Premiership outfit Newcastle United, put pen to paper this morning and will commence training with his new team-mates immediately.

Renowned for his tough-tackling play, leadership and composure, Moore said he was delighted an agreement could be reached just days before the close of the Hyundai A-League transfer window.

“For me it’s the right time to come back and play in the A-League and I’m delighted to have signed for the club," he said.

“I’m young enough to give good service to Queensland Roar and hopefully I can make a good contribution to the league. Football is growing in Australia and I’m very happy to be part of it again.

"I always wanted to give something back to the game here and hopefully I’ll be able to do that in the coming seasons."

He added: “Frank (Farina) has told me what his plans are for the club and it’s exciting.

"I’ve come back here to be successful with Queensland Roar and we’ll all be working towards achieving that aim this season."

The signing of the commanding centre-back is a major coup for Queensland Roar after it looked as though the former Socceroo captain would not be joining the club.

Previous negotiations were unsuccessful but following Moore’s recent return to Australia both parties were able to reach an agreement.

A clearly delighted Frank Farina said Moore would be a key player in the future success of the club.

“Craig has played at every level of competition, including the English Premiership, Scottish Premiership, the European Champions’ League and of course the World Cup Finals," he said.

“He is a player of the highest quality and a real leader both on and off the field. His experience will be vital to helping us achieve our aim and I couldn’t be happier that he has joined us."

He added: “Craig Moore is a winner; it’s as simple as that.

"He’s had a very successful career and at only 31-years-old he still has many good years in front of him.

“When you bring in players like Craig Moore and Danny Tiatto you know what you’re getting; experience, drive and leadership.

"Both have been there and done it and they will give our squad such a good balance. What they can teach our younger players will be invaluable."

The 186cm defender spent his teenage years on the Redcliffe peninsula in outer Brisbane and played his junior football with Redcliffe City, Brisbane City and North Star before heading to the Australian Institute of Sport.

His move to Scotland and subsequent contract with Glasgow Rangers soon followed and led to over a decade of success with the Scottish side.

In 1998/99 he made 23 loan appearances for Crystal Palace and transferred from Rangers to German club Borussia Moenchengladbach in January 2005.

As well as captaining the 2004 Olyroos, Moore played in all four of Australia’s games in the successful 2006 World Cup campaign in Germany and scored from the penalty spot in the crucial 2-2 draw with Croatia.

Debuting in 1995, Moore has scored 3 times in his 38 caps for the Socceroos to date, with his last appearance being the 1-1 draw with Ghana in November of 2006.