Perth Glory are adamant Shane Smeltz’s imminent arrival at the A-League club won’t force former England international Robbie Fowler out the door.
Smeltz, who starred for New Zealand during last year’s World Cup, will replace Fowler as the Glory’s international marquee player on what is rumoured to be a lucrative three-year deal.
Although Smeltz’s deal will fall outside of the salary cap due to his marquee status, any deal put to Fowler must now be included in the cap, meaning the former Liverpool legend will have to take a hefty pay cut to stay put in Perth.
But despite that prospect, the 35-year-old is still seriously considering playing one more season at the Glory, with his final decision to be made by mid-April.
Smeltz’s arrival would be a major boost for Perth, who finished second last in the 2010-2011 campaign despite boasting one of the highest-paid squads in the league.
Former Adelaide captain Travis Dodd, ex-Victory defender Evan Berger and classy goalkeeper Danny Vukovic have since signed on at the Glory, with Smeltz’s signature expected to be locked away in the coming days.
Smeltz endured an interrupted 2010-2011 season, ending his time with Chinese Super League side Shandong Luneng after just five days before spending a frustrating stint with Turkish side Genclerbirligi.
But his return to Gold Coast sparked him back into top form, with Smeltz’s goalscoring nous helping lift the A-League side to the semi-finals.
Vukovic, who signed a three-year deal with Perth after spending last season with Wellington, hoped Fowler would stay on at the Glory in what would be a dream strike partnership with Smeltz.
“To play with someone like that would just be a dream come true,” Vukovic said.
“At the end of my career I’d love to say that I’ve played with someone like Robbie Fowler.”
And after playing against Smeltz during his time at Wellington and Central Coast, Vukovic was glad the All Whites marksman would now be on his side.
“He’s a quality striker. To have someone like him in the team is just a great bonus,” he said.
Vukovic was quick to lap up the Perth sun on Tuesday after struggling through NZ’s cold weather last season.
The 25-year-old, who played second fiddle to Mark Paston for much of last season, hoped his move to Perth would propel him to bigger and better things.
“I’ve been close to the national team and close to going overseas, so there’s no reason why that won’t be the case again,” Vukovic said.
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