Perth Glory is delighted to confirm that defender/midfielder Matt Hatch has signed a two-year contract with the club.
The 21-year-old arrives following two seasons with Central Coast Mariners for whom he made a total of 20 appearances and scored an impressive five goals.
Widely-regarded as the quickest player in the ISUZU A-League, Hatch holds the record for the fastest debut goal ever scored in Australian domestic football history having found the net just 25 seconds after being introduced from the bench against Macarthur FC in March 2021.
After gaining invaluable senior experience with the Mariners, his local club, he is now looking forward to opening a new chapter in his career with Glory.
“I’ve been thinking about it for a while now,” he said, “and decided that a change of scenery could really help me grow as a footballer and as a person and getting out of my comfort zone on the Central Coast would really push me.
“I spoke to [Head Coach] Ruben Zadkovich and his vision for not only me, but for the club, really persuaded me on wanting to move to the West.
“I think he could really help me improve my football.
“Last year was a tough one for Perth with everything they went through on and off the field, but that’s in the past now and I hope in the next few years I can earn my spot and help the club get back to winning ways and back to where they belong.
“I’ve never been to Perth, but from what I’ve heard, it’s one of the best places in Australia, so I’m excited to move over there and start working hard towards next season.
“The Mariners have helped me tremendously over the years, so I hope I can take everything I have learned and use it to benefit myself and the team.”
Glory Head of Recruitment, Andy Keogh, believes that the club’s Members and fans will enjoy seeing Hatch in action.
“Matt is a fantastic young player with bags of potential.” he said.
“His physical and technical attributes are fantastic and he is another huge asset to the club who we will be working hard with to develop.
“His goals-to-minutes ratio has been fantastic and something we intend to build on and everyone at PGFC is excited for Matt to arrive.”
Further squad announcements will be made shortly.
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