Adelaide United captain Travis Dodd’s time in a Reds shirt has come to end, with the club veteran to head west and join Perth Glory next season.
Confirmation of Dodd-s new deal in Perth ends months of speculation surrounding the midfielder-s playing future and brings down one of the, if not the longest, standing tenures at the Reds.
In a stint stretching seven years, Dodd has notched up a total of 183 appearances and 41 goals for Adelaide United, comprising of 137 Hyundai A-League games and 30 goals, an overall tally unmatched by any player at one Hyundai A-League club.
The club-s captain for the past four domestic seasons, Dodd also led the Reds to the 2008 AFC Champions League Final and through the FIFA Club World Cup in the same year and has become an icon of Adelaide United.
It is for this reason and the fact that he has been a prominent figure among Adelaide United supporters throughout his time at the club that Dodd says his decision to further his career with the Glory has been one of the most difficult to make in his career.
“Part of the reason it has taken so long to come to a decision is because there is so much at stake and so much to consider,” Dodd said.
“It has been an extremely hard one to make but first and foremost I had to think about what is best for me and my family at this time.”
Throughout his years at the Reds, Dodd has been a favourite among United supporters, both with his talent and commitment on the field as well as his personality off it and dedication to promote football in the community. Capped for the Qantas Socceroos during his time at the Reds, Dodd is grateful for the support he has received, especially from the United faithful.
“I-d like to sincerely thank everyone for all of the support I have received during my time at the club and over the past few months in particular, it has been a special time in my career and one I feel extremely privileged to have been part of,” Dodd said.
“So I hope that they (the fans) can understand my decision for leaving and how difficult a decision it was for me to make. It has been a time I will never forget, and although we haven-t won a championship, I-ve been fortunate enough to have been part of some historic achievements at this club and to have played with some great players, so I will definitely take a lot of fantastic memories from here.”
“Adelaide United will always hold a special place with me wherever I go and without this club I definitely wouldn-t be the person and player that I am today.”
While disappointed to lose a player and leader of Dodd-s calibre and experience, Head Coach Rini Coolen has been around professional football long enough to know player departures are part and parcel of football and says Dodd goes with the club-s best regards.
“Perth put an attractive offer on the table to him for a longer period and we understand his decision to take it, and we have to accept that,” Coolen said.
“I wish Travis every success in the next stage of his football journey and also to his family with their new challenge.”
