Football
AAP 4y

Andrew Nabbout set to leave Melbourne Victory for Perth Glory

Melbourne Victory attacker Andrew Nabbout's second stint with the A-League club will end following Wednesday's season finale against the Western Sydney Wanderers.

Interim coach Grant Brebner has confirmed the Socceroos star will be joining Perth Glory at the end of the 2019-20 season.

Nabbout, a Victory youth team product who made his A-League debut at the club in 2012, returned to Melbourne last year following a stint in Japan with Urawa Red Diamonds.

- ESPN's W-League Next Steps Series: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
- A-League Wrap: McDonald's renaissance, the Matildas job

The 27-year-old has made 21 appearances for the Victory in what has been a forgettable campaign for the club, which is languishing second-last on the ladder going into Wednesday's match.

Brebner confirmed to reporters on Tuesday the Wanderers game will be Nabbout and defender James Donachie's last for the club, with Donachie set to join the Newcastle Jets.

Brebner lauded both for their professionalism over the past two months in playing out the campaign for Victory despite their impending moves.

"They've been very good for me personally, and the football club over their period at the club, and we'll see what happens in the future," he said.

The Glory will be Nabbout's third A-League club having spent just under two years at the Jets between June 2016 and March 2018.

Brebner, meanwhile, confirmed that he would love to take up the Victory manager position permanently if given the opportunity.

The former championship-winning midfielder has seemingly forced his way into contention for the role after his handling of the side following the A-League restart, including Saturday's thumping 4-0 win over Perth Glory.

Brebner is understood to be one of three men vying for the permanent role along with hot favourite Arthur Papas and former Socceroo John Aloisi.

Papas, an assistant to ex-Socceroos boss Ange Postecoglou at J-League champions Yokohama F. Marinos, is the frontrunner but Brebner's guidance since the A-League's restart is understood to have put him in the frame.

"I've never made any bones about where I see myself at the moment as a coach," he said. "I was asked to come in here as an interim role, which is what I'm doing.

"Would I like to coach this club in a senior head coach role in a full-time basis one day? Absolutely. I've never ever said I wouldn't.

"When that happens, if that happens, is out of my control.

"At the moment, I'm interim coach doing the best I can and whatever happens, moving forward, at any point, I would consider."

^ Back to Top ^