Image: Murray United
Murray United has pulled off a sensational signing on the eve of the season by announcing the arrival of Melbourne Victory legend Archie Thompson to the club on a three-game guest stint.
The 54-cap former Socceroo most recently featured for Heidelberg United in the state’s top tier competition last year, making two appearances for the Bergers in the business end of the season.
Although born in New Zealand, he grew up in Wodonga and played his youth football for local side Twin City Wanderers, with the former Victory marksman maintaining family ties to the region which is also the home of his one-time Socceroo strike partner Josh Kennedy.
A product of the New South Wales Institute of Sport, Thompson’s first foray into senior football came with Bathurst 75 in rural NSW before earning his NSL breakthrough with the Gippsland Falcons.
Further spells with the now-defunct Carlton and Marconi Stallions followed with the exciting young striker netting 39 league goals in 109 NSL matches between 1996 and 2001.
A four-year spell with Belgian first division side Lierse followed before marking his return home in style by scoring the Melbourne Victory’s first ever A-League goal in August 2005.
89 more league goals followed for the prolific forward who in total made 224 league appearances for the Victory over the course of 11 seasons at the club where he maintains legendary status.
Three A-League Championships, an A-League Golden Boot, Joe Marston Medal, two Victory Medals and an appearance in the 2006 Socceroos World Cup are the striker’s many career highlights.
The one-time PSV Eindhoven forward rejected a reported offer to continue his A-League career with the Wellington Phoenix this season in favour of a short stint with Heidelberg.
His latest endeavour sees him return home to the place where it all began in a football sense, with Thompson expected to link up with new signing Chad Bugeja and local favourite Zac Walker in a new-look United forward line which manager James Coutts hopes will fire in the goals this weekend when the men from the border take on Box Hill United at home on Saturday afternoon.