Yorke's heading back to A-League

Defenders and blonde bombshells take note - "All Night" Dwight Yorke has declared his intention to relaunch himself on Australia - with the Central Coast Mariners.


The smiling face of the inaugural A-League season will meet Mariners chairman Lyall Gorman in London this week to discuss a return.

Yorke, 36, has already promised the club's leading shareholder, Peter Turnbull, that the Mariners will have first option if, as anticipated, he severs ties with Sunderland in June.

Former Sydney FC powerbroker Turnbull was instrumental in tempting the playmaker to the Sydney Football Stadium in 2005, with skipper Yorke leading the club to the competition's inaugural crown with a grand final win - against the Mariners.

Yorke would command less than half the $1 million he earned before reluctantly leaving Sydney after just one season.

The Mariners, who plan to play Yorke alongside current marquee man John Aloisi, aim to shoehorn him inside the A-League salary cap by splitting his salary in two - he would receive about $150,000 as a coach and up to $300,000 as a player.

They also have the option of topping up his pay by service agreements - a system that allows players to receive extra remuneration by undertaking extracurricular work for club sponsors.

But money is not believed to be the driving force for multimillionaire Yorke, with his English agent Simon Bayliff declaring: "Dwight has a very good relationship with Peter Turnbull, they have kept in touch ever since he left the club [Sydney FC] and the Mariners will have first option if he leaves Sunderland.

"He likes the man, respects him and would be happy to play for him, so returning to Australia is a great option for him."

Property developer Turnbull believes the A-League leaders would provide the perfect habitat for Yorke, who has been earmarked as a player and coaching mentor to the club's kids with the dawning of a national youth league almost upon us.

"Dwight has his UEFA coaching badge, and he could be accommodated in a player-coaching role," he said.

"We have 100,000 kids linked up with the club through our ties with the Granville, Canberra, Hornsby, Woy Woy and Ku-ring-gai associations.

"Dwight was the catalyst that launched the A-League to a wider audience - he had the charisma that brought in the crowds and there is still a great mystique about him.

"It shows the quality of the man, that despite being in his 30s, he's gone back to the Premier League and taken it in his stride. But I know he'd like to come back because he loves Australia and our lifestyle."

Like Turnbull, who was hounded out of Sydney by the club's all-powerful Frank Lowy faction, Yorke left with few warm feelings - and has ruled out a return there.

It took the threat of court action against Sydney FC before a $200,000 agency fee was finally paid to his English representatives.

Bayliff was further put out when the club demanded - and received - a $500,000 transfer fee before off-loading Yorke to Sunderland when it became clear they were unwilling to pay another $1 million for the second year of his contract.

Contrary to his reputation as a party prince, Yorke astounded Sunderland's coaching staff two weeks ago by topping the mid-season fitness league table. Despite his diminutive frame, he led the way in press ups, squat thrusts and power lifting.

Yorke, who scored eight goals in 22 appearances for Sydney, plans to base himself on his former Sin City party patch. Which means the Mariners would have to bend club rules that preclude players from living outside the area.

Source: stuff.co.nz