John Aloisi new Melbourne Heart football coach

08 May 2012 02:46

Former Australia striker John Aloisi was Tuesday appointed the new coach of A-League club Melbourne Heart for the next three seasons.

Aloisi is the only Australian to have played in the world's big three domestic competitions -- the English Premier League, Spain's La Liga and Italy's Serie A -- and was preferred to Heart assistant coach Ante Milicic.

"I'm honoured and delighted to have been appointed head coach of Melbourne Heart FC," said the 36-year-old, who joined the club coaching staff when he retired from playing at the end of the 2010-11 season.

"The club is well positioned to succeed, with an exciting young core at the heart of our team, and I'm confident we will be able to build on last season's success over the next few years."

He replaces John van't Schip, who stepped down after leading the Heart through their first two seasons in the A-League.

Aloisi ranks as one of Australia's most successful football exports, earning 55 caps for the Socceroos and playing for a host of clubs including Portsmouth, Coventry, Antwerp, Standard Liege and Osasuna.

Source: AFP