Ruben Zadkovich has been handed the permanent reins at Perth Glory, appointed head coach by the A-League Men club on a two-year deal.
Zadkovich stepped in to fill the void on an interim basis after Richard Garcia was sacked in the aftermath of a 4-1 loss to Brisbane Roar in March.
Former Glory midfielder Zadkovich oversaw one win in 10 Isuzu UTE A-League matches at the helm – a shock 1-0 win over Premiers Melbourne City in their final game of the season – as Perth finished bottom of the table, but the 36-year-old did enough to secure the full-time position.
His appointment is part of a restructure in Perth, where former Wolves, Millwall and Portsmouth assistant Joe Gallen will serve as Zadkovich’s number two, while Chris Coyne has become assistant/NPL coach.
“I’m extremely excited to be spearheading this rebuild with so many quality people around me,” said Zadkovich.
“I have known Joe since he coached me as a 17-year-old at QPR, I also worked under Kenny and I played with both Chris and Andy, so I know exactly what they each bring to the table.
“The football department team we have assembled has all the ingredients required to drive this proud club forward.”
Perth’s new-look football department sees former head coach Kenny Lowe return as Academy director, NSL-Championship-winning coach Mich d’Avray takes on the role of technical consultant and all-time leading scorer Andy Keogh has been named head of recruitment following his retirement.
Glory owner and chairman Tony Sage said: “The presence of Joe Gallen and Mich d’Avray will provide a wealth of experienced support around a young and dynamic Head Coach in Ruben Zadkovich.
“While Kenny Lowe brings a track record for developing young WA players which is second to none.
“Chris Coyne is set to continue to play a versatile and vital role within the football department and Andy Keogh’s network of local, national and international contacts will prove invaluable as the club seeks to build a squad capable of challenging for silverware on a regular basis.
“Among the new-look coaching and recruitment team, there exists a deep-rooted passion for the club and an understanding of its proud history, along with a shared hunger and determination to help realise its huge potential.”
