BY ZULHILMI ZAINAL Follow on Twitter
Former Selangor centre back Robbie Cornthwaite has been made the captain of A-League side Western Sydney Wanderers for the coming season, the club announced on Friday.
The announcement came just one day before the club is scheduled to play English Premier League's Arsenal in a friendly match, on Saturday.
The Gunners are currently in Australia for a pre-season tour; and on Thursday they defeated Sydney FC 2-0.
He told the club website that he aims to guide the 2014 AFC Champion League winners to their first ever A-League trophy.
“All the great players that have played for Western Sydney, all the captains they’ve had, no one’s been able to lift that A-League trophy.
“To be the first would be amazing and to have the team and coaching staff that I have standing behind me would be a dream come true,” said the former Australia international.
The Wanderers finished in sixth place in the 2016/17 A-League regular season, with the 31-year defender, who is described as a fan favourite according to the club, making 21 appearances in all competitions.
Prior to returning to Australia to join the Wanderers, Cornthwaite had played for Selangor from the start of the 2015 season until the 2016 mid-season transfer window. He helped the Red Giants lift their historic 33rd Malaysia Cup title in 2015, under head coach Mehmet Durakovic, another Australian who had established his name at Selangor during his playing days.
The news of Cornthwaite's captaincy did not go unnoticed by his former Red Giants teammates. Former Selangor captain Shahrom Kalam, who now skippers Perak, congratulated the Australian on social media.