Homeward bound ... Joel Griffiths in action for Beijing Guoan against Melbourne Victory in the Asian Champions League in 2010. Photo: AFP
TURNS OUT Alessandro Del Piero couldn’t do it all on his own - which is why Sydney FC have moved to bring in gun striker Joel Griffiths in the January transfer window.
After four years in China, Griffiths has signed a deal with the Sky Blues that will run until the end of the season. His wages will be totally included in the salary cap and he also has the option to extend the deal for a further year if his stint is a success.
The recent departure of Dimitri Petratos to Malaysia freed up a position for a new striker, meaning Griffiths - previously a marquee with the Newcastle Jets - will be able to move straight in after his contract with Shanghai Shenhua expired.
A press conference on Friday will formally announce Griffiths’ arrival but his twin brother Adam confirmed the rumours yesterday afternoon, posting a picture on Twitter with ‘‘SFC’’ emblazoned in sunscreen across his brother’s stomach whilst at Balmoral Beach. The tweet has since been removed.
Griffiths told the The World Game website he had ‘‘made a decision and I am excited about playing in the A-League again’’.
‘‘I am not sure how it will unfold because you never know in football. I could be here six months or three years,’’ he said. ‘‘My wife is expecting our second our child in May and this is a good time to come home to test myself again.’’
Despite coming in mid-season, Griffiths said he could still make a strong impact with the Sky Blues in this campaign. ‘‘There were also offers in China but I feel I’m coming back into the competition at a great time because it’s thriving right now,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s a good opportunity to come back after four years aboard and hopefully make an impact at the business end of the season.’’
Sydney coach Frank Farina has already signalled his intention to attack the transfer window ‘‘with a sledgehammer’’ and with Griffiths now secured, he’ll soon turn his attention to his next target - bolstering his defensive stocks, specifically a new centre-half.
However, that means several players could be on the way out if Farina gets his way. Croatian import Kruno Lovrek is one who will be allowed to go - but only by mutual consent or if he finds a new club - after failing to make an impact early in the season and struggling with injury since.
Griffiths, 33, has been linked with a move to the Sky Blues and also Western Sydney in recent months but only since the end of the Chinese Super League season have talks been able to progress further.
Despite having played just three times for the national team, Griffiths is regarded as one of the nation’s most explosive strikers - a reputation cemented by his dynamic spell with the Newcastle Jets, netting 28 goals in 60 appearances and playing the key role in leading them to the 2007-8 A-League title.
Griffiths was long eager on a move back to the Jets, where his younger brother Ryan Griffiths still plays as a striker, and frequently spoke about his desire to return to the Hunter region. ‘‘Returning to Australia at the end of my contract is definitely a strong possibility,’’ Griffiths said in July this year. ‘‘If it happens, the Jets would be my first choice. Hopefully the fact I’m a proven scorer, somebody who can get maybe 10 a season, would work in my favour and make me attractive to teams.’’
But as no offer from Newcastle materialised for Griffiths, and with Emile Heskey taking up a massive chunk of the club’s wage bill, the former Sydney United junior instead plumped for Sydney FC - the club his twin joined in the pre-season.
Griffiths’ spell in China proved his lethal ability further and in three years at Beijing Guoan, he scored 27 goals in 76 appearances to ensconce himself as a hero in one of the country’s biggest teams. However, he was lured across to big-spending Shanghai Shenhua a year ago, with his move to the rival club sparking scenes of celebration upon his arrival. He scored six goals this season, second only to Didier Drogba, who bagged nine goals in his first season with Shanghai after leaving Chelsea.
Griffiths eclipsed Drogba’s former Chelsea striker partner Nicholas Anelka on the scoring charts, with the Frenchman managing just three goals - despite playing several more games. But with his contract expiring and with confusion over whether Shanghai’s owners were still in a position to pay their players next season, Griffiths - who was raised in the Sutherland Shire - keenly agreed terms with his home-town club.
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