In the final part of a series of articles, Grant discusses his decision to come home to Glory and what the future holds.
After meeting with Glory Head Coach Kenny Lowe, Grant was convinced that the time was right to head home and join Glory.
Since pulling on the famous purple shirt in 2015, the defender has made 35 appearances and scored twice, with his no-nonsense approach to defending and composure on the ball endearing him to the Glory faithful.
Departing the UK and rejoining his family was a massive move for the then-21-year-old, but he insists it was the right decision at that point in his career.
“I haven’t had any regrets since I’ve come home to Perth,” he said. “It’s been great to be part of a proper first-team set-up again and I love it here.”
One specific aspect of the club that the centre-half has particularly enjoyed is working with Lowe, a coach who has developed and integrated a multitude of WA-based players into the squad.
“I love Kenny’s passion for the game,” he said. “The way he goes about it, you just know how much he wants success for the club. He works so hard and I can see that determination in him.
“Even when you chat to him, you can see he really cares. There are some managers that just tick along and go through the motions, but you can tell he really does want to help improve each and every player.”
The former Stoke City man has also relished the opportunity to train, play and learn from some of the team’s senior players.
“It’s been a great football environment in terms of developing as a player, with the likes of Richard Garcia and Andy Keogh having a great influence,” he said.
“They take you under their wing and mentor you and you just have to look at their careers to understand that they really do know what they’re talking about.”
Grant has been a regular feature in Glory’s defence since joining the club, although a foot ligament injury sustained last term unfortunately resulted in his promising centre-back partnership with Shane Lowry being put on hold.
Following that enforced lay-off, the 23-year-old is eager to bounce back in 2017-18 and has only one target in mind.
“I’m really keen to go and win silverware for this club after we’ve gone so close over the past few years with the FFA Cup and then the league semi-final this year,” he said.
“I feel the fans deserve some more success and everyone involved at Glory deserves it.”
In terms of international football, meanwhile, Grant states that he’d “love to play for the Socceroos,” but there is no danger of him being distracted from the job in hand.
“I feel it’s important not to look too far ahead and to keep your feet on the ground,” he said. “I want to get another taste of international football after the Joeys camp a few years ago, but for now, I’m really focused on continuing to play for Glory in a very competitive league.”
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