Melbourne Heart FC confirms Vince Grella will retire from professional football effective immediately.
Melbourne Heart FC confirms Vince Grella will retire from professional football effective immediately.
Grella, 33, leaves football as one of the country-s most decorated ever internationals, representing the Qantas Socceroos on 46 occasions, including two FIFA World Cups and over a decade spent in the Serie A and English Premier League.
“After 17 years of professional football my body has told me it-s enough,” Grella said.
“I need to thank John Aloisi and the club for giving me a final chance to continue as a professional.
“I felt the club-s culture was the perfect place for me to be and it-s frustrating I won-t have the opportunity to contribute to it and to John-s first steps as a coach.”
While disappointed that Grella will not be in a position to make an on-field impact, Aloisi is proud of the Club-s decision to give Grella one final chance.
“Vince has been a brilliant contributor to Australian football for a long time,” Aloisi said.
“He deserved an opportunity to see if he could resurrect his career and we are proud that we were able to give him that chance.
“We always knew it was going to be a risk, but for me, it was certainly a risk worth taking.”
Melbourne Heart Chairman Peter Sidwell added that Grella-s dedication to the Club continues to be exemplary.
“The Club will always be grateful to Vince for putting his life on hold and sacrificing so much personally and financially in order to assist this club,” Sidwell said.
“It-s the sort of sacrifice that we need from every person within the organisation.”
