The 21-year-old realised a dream when he joined his home town club two seasons ago and has worked hard to establish himself as Perth’s number one. Velaphi said the desire to see Glory return to the pinnacle of football in Australia was a driving force in his decision to remain in WA.

He said: “The club definitely has a bright future and there is a lot more to achieve here and I want to be around during that period.

“I grew up supporting the Glory and to be part of it has been fantastic and I’m looking forward to continuing to develop my game and contributing to the success of the club into the future."

Out of contract at the end of this season, rival clubs were lining up to snare the services of the talented shot stopper. Glory Coach Dave Mitchell said Velaphi’s signature is a significant step for Perth that will provide a foundation from which the club can build a successful team.

He said: “It’s great to have Tando at the club for another two years. He is one of the young goal keepers in the league that has produced and is gaining more and more confidence as the weeks go by. He is a genuine talent.

“I’ve always been of the opinion that you build from the back so we’ve secured a great young goal keeper and now we look across the defence, midfield and up front as we retain and recruit players for success in the years ahead."

Velaphi said the club’s decision to extend Mitchell’s contract as Head Coach for two more seasons gave the club stability and direction that will entice players to be part of the club’s exciting vision.

“We have a great coaching team at the club that is stable and can offer plenty to the team. Willie (McNally) is a great keeper coach and I’m learning a lot while Mitch (Dave Mitchell) has put his faith in me and I want to reward that.

“It’s important for the club to have a stable base and I have seen some great signs at training and during games that indicate we are on the right path to take the club back to the levels we were at during the NSL," said Velaphi.

Glory’s on-the-rise custodian has started the last five matches for Perth and contributed to the club’s improved results however Velaphi knows that to retain the number one spot he must continue to perform with the fellow keepers Frank Juric and Jason Petkovic nipping at his heels.

“I’ve got a lot to improve on and work on but I’m enjoying my opportunity to play and I’ll push myself to get better and I know the other guys are doing the same and that will only benefit the team.

“I aspire to play at the highest level I can and there is no better place to be developing my game than here in Australia with the Glory,” Velaphi said.