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Nov 27, 2020   |  1:14AM AET

Gestede, McManaman and Victory’s previous ex-Premier League players

Gestede, McManaman and Victory’s previous ex-Premier League players

Rudy Gestede became the second former Premier League player to join Melbourne Victory ahead of the 2020/21 Hyundai A-League season.

The striker’s arrival further strengthens Victory’s squad, which begins its league campaign against Brisbane Roar at AAMI Park on January 2.

Gestede joins former Premier League attacker Callum McManaman in Melbourne.

It marks the first time since 2011/12 that Victory will have multiple ex-Premier League players in its squad.

We take a look at the previous players who featured in England’s top flight before joining Victory.


2020/21 membership banner

Kevin Muscat (2005-19)
A club great as a player and coach, Muscat joined Victory ahead of its inaugural season in 2005/06, after a successful career in England with Crystal Palace, Wolves and Millwall. Muscat made nine Premier League appearances for Palace in 1997/98. He won two championships and two premierships with Victory as a player and guided the club to four trophies as a coach.

Danny Allsopp (2005-09 & 2011-12)
Another Victory great, Allsopp also joined Victory in 2005 and had two spells at the club, winning doubles in 2006/07 and 2008/09. Only Archie Thompson (90) and Besart Berisha (68) have scored more Hyundai A-League goals for Victory than Allsopp’s 42. The striker also had a fine career in England, his lone Premier League appearance coming for Manchester City in 2000/01.

Joe Keenan (2007-08)
Keenan spent the 2007/08 campaign at Victory, having started his career at Chelsea. He made two Premier League appearances for Chelsea, with his debut coming when he replaced John Terry in a draw with Aston Villa in 2002.

Harry Kewell (2011-12)
Former Leeds United and Liverpool attacker Kewell returned to Australia amid much fanfare when he signed with Victory in 2011. After starring at Leeds, Kewell joined Liverpool and won an FA Cup and Champions League with the Reds. He scored 57 goals in 274 games in England’s top flight, and netted eight times in 25 appearances for Victory in 2011/12.

Ola Toivonen (2018-20)
Toivonen scored for fun during two seasons with Victory, netting 25 Hyundai A-League goals in 40 games. His lone spell in the Premier League came with Sunderland in 2015/16, on loan from Rennes, but he went without a goal in 12 appearances and had two assists. The Swede had been linked with Liverpool in 2010.

Callum McManaman (2020-present)
A Victory signing ahead of 2020/21, McManaman played in the Premier League as recently as 2015/16 with West Brom. The winger, who made his Victory debut in the AFC Champions League on Tuesday, played 26 Premier League games for Wigan and another 20 with West Brom. However, it was in the 2013 FA Cup final that he impressed most, named man of the match as Wigan stunned Manchester City.

Rudy Gestede (2020-present)
Gestede’s arrival at Victory was confirmed on Wednesday as the striker joined after most recently playing for Middlesbrough in the Championship. Gestede, a Benin international, scored six Premier League goals across top-flight appearances with Cardiff City, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough.