Perth Glory have pulled off a transfer coup, signing midfielder Calem Nieuwenhof on a one-year loan from Scottish Premiership club Hearts.
The 25-year-old began his football journey with Manly United before making his A-League debut for Sydney FC in January 2021.
A year later he completed a move to fierce city rivals the Wanderers and enjoyed a breakout 2022-23 campaign, playing 27 times and scoring four goals.
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Those performances earned the Australia Under-23 international a place in the PFA A-League Team of the Season and a subsequent move to Hearts with whom he signed a four-year contract.
He has since featured on nearly 50 occasions for the Edinburgh club but is now looking forward to making a return to the A-League with Glory.
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“I’m super excited to be joining Perth Glory,” said Nieuwenhof, after his deal was announced.
“I’m looking forward to getting back playing consistently and giving everything to help bring success to the club.
Calem Nieuwenhof of Hearts (R)
“It is a club with huge potential and I’m hoping we can challenge for the title this season.
He continued: “Having worked with [Head Coach] Adam Griffiths and [Assistant Coach] Tomi Vidovic before, I know the high standards they set which is a big reason why I am so keen to join the club.”
Glory Football Director Stan Lazaridis believes that Nieuwenhof can have a major impact for the club in the 2026-27 campaign.
“Calem is a top-class player and securing his services is a real coup for the us,” he said.
“He worked with Adam Griffiths previously at Manly United, so he knows his style of play and he’s a perfect fit for it.
“Calem can operate as either a six or an eight, he keeps and moves the ball superbly and there’s no doubt in my mind that he can be a key figure as we look to secure Finals football in the coming season.”
