Kingston City have pulled a major coup ahead of the upcoming NPL2 season with the capture of former Perth Glory striker Jerry Karpeh.
The 31-year-old joins the club after recently plying his trade in Hong Kong with South China, where he was a teammate of former A-League forward Ryan Griffiths.
The Liberian-born Karpeh is no stranger to the Victorian football scene, having played for Moreland Zebras (then Whittlesea Zebras) and Oakleigh Cannons respectively between 2008 and 2010, where he scored 27 goals in 62 games over the space of three seasons.
Born in the Liberian capital of Monrovia in 1984, Karpeh immigrated to Australia in the 1990s, escaping the West African nation’s civil war before settling in Perth.
He made his senior debut for the Dianella White Eagles aged 17, before helping Bayswater City gain promotion into the top tier of West Australian football in 2003.
Further spells at Fremantle City and Perth Soccer Club followed before a sensational return of 25 goals in 21 league games in 2007 with Floreat Athena saw him attract the interest of several A-League clubs.
A trial at the Newcastle Jets was followed by a short-term contract with hometown club Perth Glory in December 2007, which was extended until the end of the 2007/08 A-League season.
Karpeh made a dream start at the Glory by providing an assist on debut in a 3-1 victory over the Melbourne Victory, however was released at season’s end after seven games in purple.
A move interstate to Victoria in 2008 eventuated as Karpeh’s goals helped the Zebras avoid relegation, before signing for John Anastasiadis’ Oakleigh Cannons the following season.
He left Australia at the conclusion of the 2010 VPL season and agreed terms with the Churchill Brothers of India, a country where Karpeh manage to establish himself as one of the league’s most effective forwards.
A goal every other game saw him score 54 strikes in 108 appearences over the course of five campaigns in India, which came to an end last year as he made the move to South China in the Hong Kong Premier League.
City manager Nick Tolios was delighted with the capture of Karpeh, saying: “The signing of Jerry is a big coup for us and one which I believe allows us to effectively replace the hole up front left by the departing Sean McIlroy.”
His transfer to the Grange Reserve makes him Kingston City’s sixth signing of the off-season, after the arrivals of Ryan Love (Bentleigh Greens), Rowan McNamee (Oakleigh Cannons), Dennys Martin (Pascoe Vale), Slaven Vranesevic (Casey Comets) and Mouad Zwed (Canberra FC).