Perak have announced that Malaysia international Brendan Gan is joining them for the 2018 season as the Sydney-born midfielder aims to put his injury nightmare behind him.
The Malaysia Super League (MSL) club posted an updated squad list on social media, with Gan the most eye-catching of the new names. Malaysia under-23 centre-back Syazwan Zaipol Bahari also comes on board.
Perak head coach Mehmet Durakovic knows Gan from his time in the A-League, when the then 20-year-old was making his first steps in senior football with Sydney FC.
And the now 29-year-old will be grateful to former Melbourne Victory boss Durakovic for the opportunity to prove himself again after an injury-ravaged three years.
Gan hasn't player since rupturing the cruciate ligament in his left knee when turning out for the national side in a friendly in Indonesia in Sept. 2016. It was particularly disappointing as it ruled him out of the AFF Suzuki Cup two months later.
This followed the same injury to his right knee 18 months earlier, adding to a tough time for the former Kelantan player.
Gan became a naturalised Malaysian in 2014 due to having a Malaysian father. He subsequently earned his first full international cap in an AFC World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia in March 2016.
Gan had raced to a total of eight caps by that fateful night in Indonesia when his second knee injury put his career on hold again.
Perak fans will hope that the nightmare is finally over and that Gan can rediscover the form that he demonstrated in his spells at Sabah and Kelantan.
He spent much of 2017 doing rehab in his hometown of Sydney, but took regular trips to Malaysia to speak with prospective clubs for 2018.
The former New South Wales player of the year certainly deserves a bit of luck after two serious injuries in less than two years seriously disrupted a promising career for club and country.
Perak finished fifth in the 2017 MSL, 15 points behind champions Johor Darul Ta'zim.