Olyroo Josh Rawlins will make the trip to Melbourne from the Netherlands after signing a two-year deal with the Club from Dutch side FC Utrecht.
Rawlins, born and bred in Perth, returns to the A-league for a third time after having previously made 46 league appearances for the Glory.
The 20-year-old originally joined Perth at the age of 11, rising through the academy, and making his senior debut in the Glory’s 2019 friendly against Manchester United at Optus Stadium.
Rawlins made his professional debut on November 18, 2020, starting the match against Shanghai Shenhua in the group stage of the 2020 AFC Champions League, becoming the youngest player to ever feature in an ACL game, at 16 years, six months and 26 days.
The full-back made his A-League Men’s debut as a 16-year-old for the Glory, making a total of 34 league appearances over his first two seasons in Western Australia, before moving to Europe with Utrecht.
Rawlins spent the 2022/23 season in the Dutch U21’s league before returning to Perth on loan, making 12 appearances last season.
The defender has represented Australia at every youth age group, including the 2023 AFC U20 Asian Cup where he captained the Young Socceroos to the quarter-finals.
Josh Rawlins Q&A
How would you personally describe your playing style?
“I would describe myself as an attacking-minded full-back who likes to get forward and create opportunities for the attackers.”
What is your impression of Melbourne Victory?
“I’ve always known Melbourne Victory to be a big club within Australia and to get the privilege to play for them, it really excites me and I’m looking forward to playing in front of the home fans this season.”
What do you think you’ve learnt most/your favourite lessons as a footballer so far?
“To always want more, I’ve learnt to never be satisfied with what I have achieved because I can always push harder and go that extra step further in my career.”
What are you hoping to achieve personally and as a team this season?
“I’m hoping I can come in and add extra strength to an already strong team, they came so close last year to winning the final so hopefully this year we will be able to put a good season together and challenge another championship. I want to be giving my all to the team because you can’t win alone in a team sport.”
