A-League-topping striker Nathan Burns has agreed to return to the ailing Wellington Phoenix, hoping to rekindle the goal-producing form of his 2014-15 season.
The club on Saturday announced the 29-year-old Australian had signed a two-year contract.
Burns last played for the Nix in 2014, scoring 13 goals, helping the club to a finals appearance and winning the Johnny Warren medal for the league's best player.
He's since played in Japan's J-League with FC Tokyo and Sanfrecce Hiroshima.
"He's a player with a top, top pedigree, a tremendous work ethic and ambition to succeed and he's somebody that's synonymous with some of the best times we've seen at this club," General Manager David Dome said.
Burns has already arrived in the capital and passed his medical, meaning he may make a much-needed appearance when the Phoenix take on third-placed Melbourne on January 10.
He said there had been "plenty of offers" from around Asia but the Nix had been his first choice.
"When I was in Wellington I was playing really well, it was probably the highlight of my career, I had good players around me," Burns said.
"And as soon as I landed again I felt happy to be in the city, it feels like home."
Wellington have just one win and three draws from 11 games this season and are under increasing pressure after losing assistant coach Rado Vidosic, striker son Dario Vidosic and Brazilian midfielder Gui Finkler in the past month.
Dome said the team wasn't resigning itself to defeat yet.
"We're not accepting our current position on the table, we haven't given up on this season. We've gone through a major rebuild of our footballing department," he said.
"It's so positive to see that quality players still want to buy in to what we're doing."
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