Aaron Calver believes the arrival of new teammate Daniel Sturridge will elevate the Glory into premiership contention this season.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Perth stunned the Australian footballing community on Friday when they announced star striker's signature ahead of the 2021/22 A-League Men's competition. The 32-year-old brings a wealth of experience to the club, headlined by more than a decade with English Premier League powerhouses Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool.
Sturridge's record includes EPL, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League title victories.
The signing is expected to see Perth rise up the ladder, with the season to get under way in mid-November. For Helensburgh product Calver, who joined the Glory in June, the opportunity to play alongside Sturridge is a dream come true.
"It's massive and it came out of nowhere. It was a nice little surprise for the boys, especially for all of us who grew up up watching Liverpool," Calver told the Mercury.
"He's got enormous class and plenty of experience, so hopefully that can rub off on the rest of the team. If he can stay fit and bang in the goals, I think we'll be a force to be reckoned with."
Sturridge is set to be one of the biggest overseas recruits in A-League Men's history, with the Englishman joining the likes of Alessandro Del Piero, Dwight Yorke, Robbie Fowler and Besart Berisha.
"It's massive. You don't really want to compare it to the other ones, but he's such a high profile name and I think a lot of households - especially here in Perth - will know and come out to watch him," Calver said.
"He's only 32 so he's got plenty of years left in him. I think he's had a bit of an unfortunate run with injuries, but hopefully he can get over that. And if Daniel can get fit and firing, everyone knows what he can do."
Glory chairman and owner Tony Sage believes Sturridge's signing is "one of the biggest not only in Glory's history, but in the history of the A-League".
"Daniel's arrival signals in no uncertain terms how determined we are to bring sustained success to the club and the lengths we will go to in order to achieve that goal," Sage said.
"We know the elite-level quality Daniel will bring to the side and are hugely excited to see him wearing the famous purple this season."
While excited about what Sturridge can do in attack, Calver remains focused on stopping goals at the other end of the field this season.
The 25-year-old - who previously played for Sydney FC and Western United - has joined the Glory on a two-year contract and is among a host of recruits to land in Perth, including Jack Clisby, Brandon O'Neill and Adrian Sardinero.
"I'm fitting in really well with the boys and the coaches are good too. I've started off well but I had a little back niggle, which I've just got over. But we've got seven weeks to go (until round one) so I've still got a bit of time (to get it right)," Calver said.
"My goal is to cement my spot and defend as well as we can. Hopefully we can keep as many clean sheets as possible."
Joshua Bartlett
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
