Perth Glory is delighted to confirm that Socceroos defender Josh Risdon has returned to the club on a two-year contract.
The 31-year-old previously made over 140 A-League appearances and played in one Grand Final and two FFA Cup Finals for Glory between 2010 and 2017, picking up the Most Glorious Player Award in 2012.
He has spent the last five years at Western United and was the club’s vice-captain when they claimed the A-League Championship in 2022.
At international level, meanwhile, Risdon won the first five of his 14 Socceroos caps while at Glory and was a key member of Bert van Marwijk’s squad at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
The proud Bunbury local is now relishing the prospect of representing his home-state club once again.
“I’m so excited to announce my return to Perth Glory, the club where my football journey began,” he said.
“As someone born and bred in WA, it’s an incredible honour to come back home with my family and represent Glory once again.
“With the new ownership steering the club into an exciting era, I am fully committed to working tirelessly to bring back the glory and success that our Members and fans deserve.”
Glory Football Director Stan Lazaridis is thrilled to welcome Risdon back to the club.
“Josh is such a consistent performer and he’s so tough,” he said.
“I loved him from the first time I saw him and I remember telling him that he was good enough to play for Australia at right-back.
“He’s like a pit bull that keeps going at you, he’s got a great engine and he’s a good leader who will have a key role to play in helping our young players to develop.
“Our Members and fans regard Josh as one of their own and he is very much what the club is all about.
“I know how much Perth Glory means to him and I can’t tell you how delighted we are that he’s back with us.”
Risdon’s Glory story began in 2008 when he entered the club’s youth set-up having previously impressed while at ECU Joondalup (now Perth RedStar) and the NTC.
His senior debut arrived during the 2010/11 campaign and he would go on to make the right-back spot his own for the next six seasons, playing 142 games to move into fourth place in Glory’s all-time A-League appearances list.
Senior international recognition arrived in 2015 with a debut against Bangladesh at HBF Park and he would go on to feature in each of the Socceroos’ three group games at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
The defender spent two seasons with Western Sydney Wanderers after leaving Glory in 2017 before moving on to Western United where he subsequently became club captain.
Risdon played 20 or more games in four of his five seasons with the Victorian side and was a key figure in their surprise 2022 A-League Championship triumph.
He has now made a total of 260 A-League appearances.
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