Socceroo striker Adam Taggart confirmed to travel with Perth Glory in Albany clash with Newcastle Jets

Names do not get much bigger in Australian soccer than Adam Taggart. The Socceroo striker and Perth Glory captain will lead the club in their exciting visit to Albany next month as they prepare for the upcoming A-League season. The prolific Socceroos marksman is coming off a golden boot-winning season with the Glory in a campaign where highlights were hard to come by. Taggart scored 20 goals for the wooden-spooners last season and has netted seven goals in 19 appearances for Australia in his career, giving Great Southern fans plenty to cheer about when the Glory touch down in Albany next week. The club announced earlier this month that Albany will be the second and final stop of their WA regional tour which includes a friendly match against A-League rivals Newcastle Jets at Retravision Stadium on October 2. Taggart said although his side had a torrid 2023-24 season, there is plenty for fans in the Great Southern to get pumped up for ahead of their trip and insisted there will be nothing friendly about their match against the Jets. “There’s lots to look forward to and get excited about,” Taggart said. “We expect a good contest against a good A-League team and against (one of the few) A-League teams we will play throughout our pre-season — so it’s a little bit special. “The fans can get excited about a lot of the new boys, the new year and it’s a fresh start for everyone. “We need to give it everything that we can to make sure that we’re in the best possible condition for round one. “We’ve got so many new players and a lot of young boys . . . and there’s a lot of boys who are keen to make their mark on the league and make this year their breakout year.” The 31-year-old striker said he hoped the regional trip would help galvanise the squad. “I think wherever you go around the world, pre-season trips are a massive part of the preparation to make sure that everyone gets to know each other and understands how each other works in a professional sense,” he said. “It’s a great chance for us to all get to know each other and prepare as best as we can going into the start of the A-League season. Taggart, who has family that reside in Albany, said the team is looking forward to experiencing some of the State’s south. “It’s a really beautiful town and I’m looking forward to getting back there,” he said. “Everyone’s sort of looking forward to not only the games but just to experience a little bit of southern WA. “I think the main priority is to make sure that we’re constantly connecting with places like Albany and Bunbury and things like that. “We’re the only team in WA so it’s important that we keep our relationships with these different communities around WA and keep that sort of connection going into the season.” The Glory will play against the Jets in Bunbury on September 29 before travelling to Albany. The club has also announced they will host a community day on October 1 at Retravision Stadium. The Glory’s showdown with the Jets kicks off at 4pm on October 2.