Injured Perth Glory star goalkeeper Brad Jones ruled out with new A-League season just days away

Perth Glory have been dealt a huge blow, former Socceroo and Liverpool goalkeeper Brad Jones sidelined with a long term injury just days out from the start of the new A-League season. Jones, 40, has been carrying the cartilage injury through pre-season after damaging his knee late last year and there is no timeframe on his return. The big name signing only managed five games last season, two in November before sustaining a calf injury, and three more in March when the knee damage sparked the long lay-off. He inked a two-year deal with Glory and was expected to be competing with another veteran ‘keeper Liam Reddy this season. Glory, who open their season against Western Sydney Wanderers at Commbank Stadium on Sunday, have been forced to call up Pierce Clark as injury cover for the former Socceroo. Clark, 24, who has been playing for Victoria NPL side South Melbourne was brought in for a pre-season trials when it looked like Jones would miss a chunk of the new season. Clark has also played for Victoria NPL sides Dandenong Thunder and Bentleigh Greens, New Zealand club Tasman United. and was in the youth set-up at Newcastle Jets. He will sit behind Reddy and Cameron Cook who made his A-League debut last year. When Jones was injured last year Cook came in for seven games before losing his spot to Reddy when he recovered from shoulder surgery. Glory coach Ruben Zadkovich said he had been impressed by Clark in his trial period. “Pierce has come in and trained the house down,” Zadkovich said. “He has a real appetite to work hard and is striving constantly for improvement in his game. “He is battle-hardened by a long string of games in the Victorian NPL and that resolve will make him an important part of our squad. “We are delighted to have him on board with us.” Jones, who also played for Middlesborough, joined Glory from Saudi Arabia club Al-Nassr. He played for the Olyroos at the 2004 Games in Athens, made his senior debut against Uruguay three years later and was part of the Socceroos squad at both the 2010 and 2018 World Cups. Melbourne Victory have secured their financial future with American private investment firm adding the A-Leagues club to its growing network of teams across Europe and South America. Miami-based private equity firm 777 Partners, that owns stakes in La Liga side Sevilla, Serie B team Genoa, Paris-based Red Star FC and Brazilian club Vasco da Gama, has become a minority shareholder in the A-League club, whose reported value is now estimated to be up to $50 million. Victory said it was one of the “biggest investment deals into a sports team in Australian history”.