Australia international Bailey Wright will ply his trade outside England for the first time since he made his professional debut in 2010 after completing a move to Singapore's Lion City Sailors.
The transfer, which was confirmed by the 2021 Singapore Premier League champions on Sunday afternoon, was made possible after the defender reached a mutual agreement to end his time with former club Sunderland despite having a year still to run on his exisiting deal.
LCS have pulled off a real coup in securing the services of a player who featured at the FIFA World Cup just last year and are believed to be on the verge of completing two more significant signings in a real statement of their growing ambition.
Wright has put pen to paper to a two-year contract at the Sailors -- with further 12-month option -- and will now look to make an immediate contribution to a side looking to reclaim the SPL title they relinquished to Albirex Niigata (S) last season.
The Sailors are currently just two points behind Albirex in second place with seven games remaining in the 2023 campaign and are looking to end the season strongly, having recently also appointed a new coach in Aleksandar Rankovic -- who has now made his first signing in Wright.
In addition to a domestic title battle, Wright is also expected to play a key role in the club's return to AFC Champions League action later this year following a creditable debut campaign which saw them pick up two wins and a draw from six matches - including a memorable 3-0 triumph over South Korea's Daegu FC.
"So far, it's been incredible," Wright told ESPN about his start to life in Singapore, having been in the country for the past fortnight while waiting for the transfer to be completed.
"The people around the club -- the staff and players -- everyone's been really welcoming.
"Of course, there's nerves when you come into a new environment. You'll always wonder how you're going to be accepted or what it's going to be like but they quickly get settled when you meet everyone.
"I think it's obvious from the club's point of view that they don't want to waste any time. We want to win games of football and win silverware."
The 30-year-old, who first came to know about the Sailors when compatriot Aurelio Vidmar was at the helm from 2019 to 2021, also revealed he did have a number of offers to consider -- including potentially returning to Australia to play in the A-League for the first time ever -- before ultimately deciding on a move to Singapore.
"Yeah, I had numerous discussions with various clubs around the world if I'm being honest," Wright added.
"Obviously (there was) a bit (of interest) in the UK. It's kind of where I've always played and (there were) opportunities to stay there. I won't disclose clubs but I spoke to some clubs in Asia.
"And in the A-League, I had quite a few conversations with various people and the A-League certainly interests me. I just don't feel like now is the right time for me.
"I felt -- in terms of the footballing experience and the 'project' experience -- this was the right place and fit for me, and I think it's be great to bring my family. I'd love for my wife and kids to experience Singapore and the football here and the culture of the country.
"I think it's an incredible place that I'm now excited to bring them here to enjoy this chapter."