Fledgling club North Queensland Fury has pulled off one of the A-League's biggest signing coups by luring Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler as its marquee player.
The 33-year-old visited Townsville last month and returned to England impressed with the club's set-up.
Fowler has had playing stints with Liverpool, Leeds United, Manchester City, Blackburn Rovers and Cardiff City.
He was spotted by a Liverpool talent scout at age 11 and turned professional at 17, making his name with the English giant.
He had two stints on Merseyside, scoring 183 goals in 265 appearances for the club. He also scored seven goals in 27 matches for England.
He made headlines in 1999 when he taunted Everton fans by pretending to snort cocaine on the touchline while celebrating a goal.
Fowler has signed a two-year deal with the Fury and says he is looking forward to taking a new path in his career when he links up with the club in April.
"I had nothing but good things to tell my family about the football side of things and the lifestyle opportunities North Queensland can offer us," he said in a statement.
"From a football perspective everything Fury coach Ian Ferguson put on the table and showed me was first-class and the enthusiasm and drive of everyone at the club is fantastic.
"It's a huge decision for my family, but it's also an opportunity to continue my football career in a truly wonderful part of the world."
Ferguson said having Fowler on board is a huge boost for his team.
"I've admired him as a player for a long time and it's just fantastic to have him signed," he said.
"Robbie is more than just a goal scorer - although he certainly knows where the net is - he links up play and he knows how to position himself to get other players involved.
"I knew he was serious about our offer when he came to Townsville.
"There was a real commitment shown by flying out to meet personally with us and to see the facilities and the lifestyle we're able to offer him and his family."
Fury chairman Don Matheson said Fowler's signing is a clear signal to rival clubs that North Queensland wants to be successful.
"We want to win games - that's what we're about," he said.
"Robbie is a legitimate international superstar of the game and there's no doubt he will give us every chance of winning.
"It's taken a lot of work to make this happen, but it was worth it to because I really believe having him playing for North Queensland Fury FC will change the way people think about the A-League."
Fowler will be the second high-profile former English Premier League star to play in the A-League, following in the footsteps of former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke, who turned out for Sydney in the first season.
Sydney tried to sign Fowler in 2007 but the deal fell through.
The Fury will make its A-League debut next season.
