Australia international James Troisi has signed with Saudi Arabian powerhouse
Al-Ittihad, severing ties with Serie A champions Juventus.
Troisi, who
was overlooked for Australia's World Cup qualifiers against Bangladesh on
Thursday and Tajikistan next week, passed a medical in Dubai.
"Excited
to officially join @ittihadclub.sa. Looking forward to getting into Jeddah and
meeting all the fans. #newbeginnings," he tweeted on Tuesday.
The signing
may provide some stability for the 27-year-old, who has drifted between clubs
in recent years and never played a game for Juve.
Successful
loan stints with Melbourne Victory in 2013-14 and Belgium outfit Zulte Waregem
last season led to interest from across the Middle East and Europe.
The attacking
midfielder, who scored Australia's winner in the 2015 Asian Cup final, joins
other Australians including Mark Milligan (Baniyas), Brett Holman (Emirates Club)
and Mark Bresciano (Al-Gharafa) playing in the Gulf region.
Socceroos
coach Ange Postecoglou said he omitted Troisi from his squad for the impending
qualifiers because he "looked a little bit underdone" in the opener
against Kyrgyzstan due to recent injuries.
But
Postecoglou insisted he still considered him an important part of the Socceroos
on the road to Russia 2018.
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