Rizzo, 29, has signed for the initial March-May stage of Mariners' Asian campaign with a possible extension later.

He made 26 appearances, netting one goal for Perth Glory, in his first campaign in Australia's top flight since departing for Europe as a 17-year-old and
 
Capped at senior international level for Australia against Croatia in 1998, Rizzo has also represented his country at every age level, including two substitute appearances at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney and two starts and two appearances off the bench for the Qantas Joeys (Under 17s) at the 1995 Under-17 World Cup in Ecuador.
 
Prior to joining Glory in 2007, Rizzo enjoyed a career in Europe that included a stint at English Premier League giants Liverpool between 1996 and 1998 and considerable spells at lower-tier outfits Crystal Palace and Milton Keynes Dons.
 
Rizzo will link with his Mariners team-mates in the coming weeks to press his claims for a starting berth in the Mariners' first AFC Champions League fixture against Korean FA Cup winners Pohang Steelers at Bluetongue Stadium on Wednesday, March 11.
 
"Nick's signing further adds to our attacking depth and I'm certain that our whole squad will benefit from Nick's tremendous level of experience gained from his many years playing at a very high level for club and country," said Mariners Executive Chairman Lyall Gorman.
 
"Though Nick's game time at Perth was limited, we saw enough evidence of his quality to suggest that he will become a valuable contributor to our AFC Champions League campaign, where Adelaide United have shown recently that squad depth is one of the cornerstones of a successful campaign.
 
"To that end, with Nick alongside the likes of Adrian Caceres, Ahmad Elrich, Adam Kwasnik and others, our attacking midfield stocks are impressive and, in our eyes, ample to give ourselves the best chance of success in Asia."
 
At 174cm tall, Rizzo will be one of the Mariners' more diminutive attacking options and one that offers pace and width moving forward - an asset he showcased when given the opportunity at Members Equity Stadium over the past two years.
 
With Rizzo's capture, the Mariners' AFC Champions League squad now totals 23, with a further seven signings able to be made by the Mariners by tomorrow's registration deadline.
 
"I'm firstly delighted to have been given the chance by the Mariners to contribute to what is an incredibly exciting tournament for any professional to be involved in and one that presents the club with a unique set of challenges," said Rizzo.
 
"The Mariners have consistently been among the top teams in Australia and I have every confidence that the squad they have assembled for the AFC Champions League 2009 is one that is capable of emulating their domestic success in Asia.
 
"I look forward to meeting with my new team-mates in the coming weeks and working towards an AFC Champions League campaign that we as a playing group and the whole of the Central Coast can be proud of."