Herd puts family before Glory

Chris Herd has revealed that the career of his wife and unity of his family took priority over his own football interests as he explained his decision to walk away from a two-year Perth Glory contract.

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The Australia international utility, who was due to arrive back in his hometown from the UK next Monday, will now seek a new club in England's League One or the Championship after shocking Glory chiefs with his unexpected about-turn.

Speaking from Birmingham, the former Aston Villa midfielder who made 23 appearances for Chesterfield last season, explained that wife Amii, a successful wedding photographer, had too many long-term commitments to join him in Western Australia.

“She just couldn’t get off her work and that would have meant the baby (two and a half year old daughter Hollie) staying here and that was going to be too hard for us as a family,” he said.

“It would have been too hard to be way from them for two years, so it’s just one of these things.

“We tried to work around things but just couldn’t find the right solution to make it work for us … we couldn’t get all the family over there and that made it unrealistic in the end.

“Perth has been really good about it and it’s obviously a shame.”

Herd, who has three Socceroos caps, had been assigned a midfield spot by coach Kenny Lowe, with the disappointment of his pulling out partially offset by the return of Rostyn Griffiths.

He will now be looking to pursue his future in England.

"I’ll be talking with my agent and he’ll be speaking to clubs in the UK and see what comes from that,” said the 27 year-old. “I’m pretty confident something will come up.

“It would have been nice to go back to Perth and play but it wasn't meant to be in terms of relocation as a family.

“Kenny has been great and acknowledged that family has to be your first priority. Hopefully I will be able to go over there and play in the A-League one day.

“Looking at the team Glory have put together, I think they’ll go on to win the title this season. That was what attracted me there … Kenny, his ideas and the great team he’s assembled.”