PERTH Glory have confirmed they have snared Liverpool legend and former North Queensland Fury Robbie Fowler as their international marquee star for next season.
Fowler agreed terms with the club after Fury refused to even table an offer to keep their skipper at the strife-torn club next season.
Sydney FC were also bidding to sign the star but are understood to have fallen behind in the wages race. Sydney are understood to have offered just $400,000 a year to Perth's reported $800,000.
But Glory chairman Tony Sage insisted: "Our offer wasn't the highest.
"There were two or three other offers, especially from a mid east club, that were higher."
"So why did he decide to come to Perth? We convinced him that the lifestyle here (was excellent), the way the club's going, the direction we're heading."
The move west to Perth will see Fowler re-unite with former Fury coach Ian Ferguson.
The pair fell out publicly when Ferguson dropped Fowler to the bench in January and Fowler then refused to play and watched the match from the stands.
However the pair always insisted they had a good working relationship despite the row and a whispering campaign that alleged they didn't get on.
Ferguson moved to Glory to be head coach Dave Mitchell's number two after Ferguson was released by Fury when owner Don Matheson walked away from the club and its mounting debts.
And Sage revealed: "A bit of an advantage for us was the fact he played under Fergie last year. Despite all the media reports he (Fowler) gets on very well with Fergie.
"In fact the first call that was made was by Ferguson to Robbie saying that we were interested, do you want to come and look at Perth as an option?
"So let's dispel any rumours from the beginning that there's any animosity between the two, they're both men, they both sorted it out, so there's no problem there, otherwise the contact wouldn't have been made in the first place.
Sage added: "This is vindication that everything we are doing at Perth Glory is on track.
"Robbie had a number of clubs chasing his signature, both in the Hyundai A-League and from the Middle-East and we're delighted he's decided to join Perth Glory.
"It's exciting for football fans in Western Australia that a legend has decided to play for us."
Fowler joins Glory after scoring 9 goals in 26 games at Fury and his new club today hailed the 35 year old as the biggest signing in the history of Perth Glory.
Sage added: "Getting players of this calibre is not easy but it's the commitment I have made to this football club.
"Now we need our fans and supporters to return the faith by purchasing season memberships.
"We also need strong support from the commercial and business world and it would be remiss of me not to thank those organisations and individuals who have already pledged their support."
The club has now finalised its 23 man squad for next season and Fowler will join his new Perth Glory team mates for pre-season training in June.
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