Stajcic brings hometown boy who made Premier League move back to Glory after ‘outstanding season’

Perth Glory have announced the return of defender Riley Warland ahead of the upcoming Isuzu UTE A-League season.

Warland returns to the club for a third spell, after an impressive season in NPL Western Australia with champions Perth RedStar.

The 21-year-old initially joined Glory as a nine-year-old and progressed through their ranks before securing a move to Fulham in 2018.

Warland returned to the club for the 2020-21 Isuzu UTE A-League season and made four senior appearances, before signing with Newcastle Jets – where he took his A-Leagues appearance tally to 16.

Following his release in 2022, eye-catching campaigns at both Gwelup Croatia and RedStar has put Warland back on the map and the centre-back is looking forward to returning to where it all started.

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“It’s always a pleasure to return here to Glory, my boyhood club, who I’m very familiar with and fond of,” he said.

“I honestly think the sky is the limit for this team and I believe we can achieve a lot more than we have in the past couple of seasons.

“Glory is a such a great club with great history and I want to be a part of putting this club back where it should be.

“A lot has changed over the years especially for myself; finding myself again and the love for football coming back.

“I’ll work harder than ever for my teammates and the fans to hopefully bring a lot of success back to this great club.”

Glory coach Alen Stajcic added: “It’s great to bring Riley back to the club.

“After an outstanding season with Perth RedStar, he has displayed the hunger and desire to test himself at the highest level in the country again.

“Another Glory junior coming back to the A-Leagues shows the commitment to locally-produced players.

“I’d like to thank Perth RedStar for granting Riley an early release, particularly as they are set to feature in the NPL WA Top Four Cup Final on Saturday.

“As a club, we very much appreciate their cooperation and willingness to do everything possible to help Riley further his football career.”

Warland is the club’s fourth off-season signing, joining Oli Sail, Aleksandar Susnjar and Bruce Kamau as Glory’s latest arrivals.