Perth Glory’s all-time A-League record goalscorer and appearances-holder, Andy Keogh, has today announced his intention to retire at the end of the current season.
The 35-year-old former Republic of Ireland international arrived at the club in 2014 and went on to play 155 A-League games in purple and score a remarkable 59 goals.
His most prolific season came in 2018-19 when he found the net on 15 occasions as Glory clinched the club’s first ever A-League Premiership.
The Dublin-born forward, who signed his first professional contract with Leeds United and subsequently played for Wolverhampton Wanderers in the English Premier League, admitted that the decision to bring his 19-year playing career to an end was not an easy one.
“It’s with a heavy but full heart that I am announcing my retirement from professional football at the end of this season,” he said.
“The decision has been a difficult one, but the reality is my body has told me that it’s time.
“Football has been my life ever since I was a child and without the help and support of my mum, dad and brother, I would not have been able to achieve what I did in my career.
“People say you have to sacrifice a lot in football, but I don’t believe that.
“It’s the best job in the world.
“But without the sacrifice of my wife and children in supporting me throughout my journey, it wouldn’t have been possible and I cannot thank them enough.
“They made the real sacrifice.
“Thank you to all the people in my footballing journey who taught me what to do and what not to do.
“It’s these experiences that will allow me to help the younger generation coming through.
“The highlight of my career was playing for my country.
“It was all I ever dreamed of when I was growing up and to achieve it leaves me very content inside.
“A special mention must go to two of my first coaches when I was growing up in Ireland; Chris Davenport from Cabinteely FC and Liam Brown from St. Joseph’s Boys.
“They dedicated their free time to help develop and nurture me as a player while I was growing up.
“It’s been a privilege to work with and under so many great players and coaches, too many to mention and it really was what dreams are made of.
“It was also a privilege to play for so many great clubs with amazing fans, like Scunthorpe United, Wolves, Leeds United and Millwall.
“To the Glory Members and fans, thank you for your support since I arrived.
“I’ve loved every minute of playing for this club and living in this city which is now my home.
“I’ll never forget scoring goals at The Shed end and jumping into the crowd.
“Thank you to Tony and Lucy Sage for their support during my time here and for allowing me to retire in Perth at this special club.
“My focus now will be on helping this great club achieve sustained success as I transition into a new role within it.
“Certa bonum certamen”.
Glory Owner and Chairman Tony Sage was quick to pay tribute to the retiring striker.
“Andy’s contribution to this club has been extraordinary and his place among the pantheon of Glory greats is well and truly assured,” he said.
“In addition to his record-breaking goalscoring feats, his link-up play, work rate and commitment to the cause have been second to none.
“We have been extremely fortunate to have a player of his outstanding quality at this club for such a long period of time.
“On behalf of all our Members and fans, I would like to congratulate Andy on a magnificent career and sincerely thank him for everything he has done for our beloved club over the last eight years.”
Glory Head Coach, Ruben Zadkovich, meanwhile, was similarly full of praise for a man he was teammates with during his own stint in purple.
“I was lucky enough to play with Andy six or seven years ago and he’s just a winner,” he said.
“He gives everything of himself to the team and is definitely one of the best strikers I ever played with.
“He’s got a real care and passion for his teammates, he’s a really selfless kind of character and his love for Perth Glory has been huge.
“He’s been an awesome servant for the club and to be Perth Glory’s record goalscorer in the A-League is a big achievement given the quality of some of the players that have played for the club.
“Andy’s a really loyal person who is a good friend to a lot of people at the club and he’ll be sorely missed on the pitch.”
Glory CEO Tony Pignata also added his congratulations.
“Andy has enjoyed a stellar career both in the UK and here in Australia,” he said, “and is undoubtedly one of the greatest strikers ever to play for Perth Glory in any era.
“His track record in the A-League places him firmly amongst the very best the competition has seen and he has provided our Members and fans with so many fantastic memories over the years.
“I would like to thank him for his huge contribution to the Glory cause and wish him all the very best for the future.”
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