LIVERPOOL legend Robbie Fowler has agreed to join Perth Glory for the 2010/11 season and will move to WA next month.
Fowler, 35, is the biggest signing in the club's history and is likely to drive renewed interest in the sport and the club.
Glory owner Tony Sage confirmed Fowler's signing at a press conference this afternoon.
Sydney FC had also shown interest in the former North Queensland Fury striker but Glory's offer, understood to be more than $800,000, was far superior.
As revealed in The Sunday Times this week, Fowler has already started looking into housing and schools for his children and could live in Fremantle.
All North Queensland players were released from their contracts amid the expansion club's financial and ownership turmoil.
The expected boost in membership and ticket revenue Fowler's signing would bring would offset his high wage.
The 12,872 who watched Glory host Fowler's Fury last October was easily Perth's biggest crowd of the season.
The Englishman will be expected to begin pre-season training on June 1.
Ironically, the move to Perth will reunite Fowler with former Fury coach Ian Ferguson, who has joined Glory as an assistant coach.
The rocky relationship between Ferguson and Fowler hit rock-bottom in Round 24 last season, with Ferguson saying Fowler refused to play after being told he was being dropped from the starting XI. Ferguson insists the pair since patched things up.
Fowler's signing as a second marquee player, under new rules announced by Football Federation Australia last week, will take Glory's player wage bill for next season to nearly $4 million.
Deputy chairman Lui Giuliani said there were strong on and off-field reasons for luring Fowler.
``He would attract people through the gates and draw sponsors. But as importantly, he's got the skill and still got the smarts to be a valuable contributor on the pitch,'' Giuliani said
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