Perth Glory have paid an undisclosed fee to Scottish Premiership club Hearts to secure Irish midfielder Aaron McEneff for the next three A-League Men seasons.
A former Tottenham Hotspur under-18 and under-21 player, McEneff starred in the League of Ireland for both his hometown club Derry City and Shamrock Rovers before a $350,000 move to Hearts in 2021.
The 27-year-old helped the Edinburgh club clinch the second-tier Scottish Championship later that year and went on to make a total of 22 appearances last season, when he also featured in the Scottish Cup Final.
McEneff says he's looking forward to opening a new chapter in his career with Glory, subject to a visa and international clearance.
"It's an opportunity that kind of came up out of the blue and it's one which really excited myself and my family," McEneff said in a statement from the club.
"For me personally, it's a massive opportunity to come to Australia, put the purple kit on and play for a club which is showing real ambition to get back to where they want to be in terms of winning trophies and competing at the top end of the table.
"I've won trophies myself in the past and I want to continue to do so.
"So coming out to Perth, with the club going in that direction and showing that ambition, it's something that I want to be a part of."
Glory coach Ruben Zadkovich is confident that McEneff will prove to be a major asset to the club.
"Aaron is a wonderful addition to our squad," he said.
"He's had a top footballing education throughout his career and has been honing his craft at some very strong football clubs.
"He is very gifted technically, but also possesses very strong physical attributes that make him a great fit for us."
The signing of McEneff comes a day after Glory chief executive Tony Pignata announced he was leaving in order to move back to Victoria to be closer to family.
Midfielder Brandon O'Neill was granted an early release from his Glory contract last month due to family reasons, and he has since signed with the Newcastle Jets.
Glory have also signed former Millwall and Bolton Wanderers defender Mark Beevers and fringe Socceroos midfielder Mustafa Amini during the off-season.
