Melbourne Victory has completed the signing of Socceroos forward Robbie Kruse on a two-year deal.
Kruse, 30, will arrive at Victory this week and join the squad immediately pending a medical assessment.
Kruse has made 75 appearances for the Socceroos between 2011–2019 and was recently part of the 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
He represented Victory on 47 occasions across all competitions between 2009–2011, scoring 16 goals and making an impact in the A-League and Australian football that put him on the international radar.
Kruse’s impressive form at Victory saw him picked up by German club Fortuna Düsseldorf in 2011/12.
The forward went on to play over 100 games across an eight-year stint in the first and second divisions in Germany for Düsseldorf, Bayer Leverkusen, VfB Stuttgart and VfL Bochum.
Kruse said he was looking forward to returning to the club that gave him the opportunity to ignite his career.
“I am excited to return home after eight years playing overseas. It was an incredible experience, but to have the opportunity to come back to the A-League and represent Victory again is really special,” Kruse said.
“I have great memories playing with Victory and of the club as whole; it helped me set expectations of myself as a player and ground me professionally.
“During our discussions, I’ve been impressed with Marco Kurz’s vision for the team and look forward to joining my teammates, many new and a couple I already know.”
A Robbie Kruse rocket 🚀 #MVFC #ForTheFifth pic.twitter.com/DkxDsSrMEd
— Melbourne Victory (@gomvfc) May 10, 2019
Kruse becomes Marco Kurz’s first signing since he took the reins at the club earlier this month.
The German believes the former clubman will add valuable A-League and international experience to the squad.
“Securing Robbie’s services for the next two years is a big win for the club,” said Kurz.
“We see in Robbie a player not only with great experience here in Australia and overseas, but also as someone that fits the culture of the club, something which will be very good for this team.
“We look forward to him joining us this week.”
