Former Tranmere player Gareth Edds set to return home to Australia

Jun 25 2010 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Daily Post

GARETH EDDS, the versatile Australian who helped Tranmere win the fight for League One survival last season, is heading back to his home country.

Edds this week signed a one season deal for North Queensland Fury in the Australian A League.

The 29-year-old from Sydney spent two seasons at Prenton Park, making 82 senior appearances, after previous spells in England with Nottingham Forest (1997 to 2002), Swindon Town (02 to 03), Bradford City (03 to 04) and MK Dons (04 to 08).

But the former Australian under 23 International was not offered new terms by Tranmere when his contract expired at the end of last season and he became a free agent.

Queensland Fury’s football operations manager Robbie Middlebury said: “I think Gareth’s experience, where he has played and being an Australian makes him a great fit at Fury. I think it’s great that we are the ones to get him back in the country at the right age. We’ve got a lot of young players in the team so his experience is going to be a tremendous asset for us.”

Edds can expect to come up against former Tranmere teammate Chris Greenacre in the forthcoming season Down Under.

Greenacre, 32, joined Australian A league side Wellington Phoenix last summer on a two-year contract and scored six goals in 24 appearances during a first season interrupted by a knee injury.

Meanwhile former Tranmere fullback Robbie Stockdale has agreed to double as a player and head of youth coaching at Grimsby Town this season.