Former Selangor and Australia centre-back Robbie Cornthwaite arrived in Sydney on Sunday after agreeing a move to 2014 Asian champions Western Sydney Wanderers.
The 30-year-old has signed a two-season deal with Tony Popovic's side who finished second in the A-League in 2015-16.
For Cornthwaite, it marks a return home after six years playing in Asia, with Jeonnam Dragons in South Korea and at Selangor, near Kuala Lumpur.
The ex-Adelaide United defender was surprisingly cut by the Red Giants in the July transfer window, just seven months after helping them lift their record 33rd Malaysia Cup title.
"When you're looking to come back to Australia, you put a list together of the clubs you'd like to join and the Wanderers were top of that list. So, to get the opportunity to play for Western Sydney is a huge honour as I know the fans are the best in Australia," Cornthwaite told the club's official website.
Welcome to the Wanderers @robcornthwaite #WSW https://t.co/4NAYnq1PvO
- WS Wanderers FC (@wswanderersfc) July 15, 2016
"It's exciting for me and my family. After six years playing in Asia, I'm really looking forward to joining Wanderers at a good age where I can really contribute."
Cornthwaite joined Selangor before the start of the 2015 Malaysia Super League (MSL) season under ex-Melbourne Victory boss Mehmet Durakovic. They finished second in the MSL before beating Kedah 2-0 in December's Malaysia Cup final before 80,000 fans at Shah Alam Stadium.
When Durakovic was controversially replaced by former teammate Zainal Abidin Hassan as head coach for the 2016 campaign, Cornthwaite was cut by the club, only to be reinstated 24 hours later after a fan outcry.
In February, he was part of the side who drew 1-1 against Johor Darul Ta'zim in the season-opening Charity Shield only to lose on penalties at Larkin Stadium. But knee and ankle injuries suffered in that game sidelined him until April.
When he returned to the starting lineup, Selangor's defence tightened up and their form improved, which is why it was a surprise when he was deemed surplus to requirements during the mid-season transfer window. Former Nigeria defender Ugo Ukah effectively replaced Cornthwaite as a one of their four import players, making his debut in the Malaysia Cup last week.
Cornthwaite says he will always cherish the 2015 Malaysia Cup success, achieved even though Durakovic's impending exit dominated headlines in the lead up to the match.
"Winning the Malaysia Cup was one of the biggest highlights of my career," he told ESPN FC. "Despite the pressure the team was under, and even with our own management being against us, we won against all the odds.
"It really was a fairytale. That's the closest group of players, along with the coach, I've ever been a part of."
A photo posted by Robert Cornthwaite (@robbiecornthwaite) on
Cornthwaite's return to Australia will put him on the radar of national coach Ange Postecoglou. The last of his eight caps came three years ago under former boss, Holger Osieck.
At his previous Australian club Adelaide United, Corthwaite made more than 100 A-League appearances, sometimes employed as a fullback, and was part of the Reds' breakthrough run to the 2008 AFC Champions League final.
Indeed, his experience in Asia will be useful to ambitious Western Sydney who won the regional competition two years ago and have qualified for the 2017 edition.
"I've been away from Australia for a while but I watched as much A-League as possible -- generally a couple of games each weekend -- and Western Sydney have been very successful and played some very good football - particularly last season," he said.
"I'm looking forward to getting in, pulling on the Red & Black and getting to work as soon as possible."