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Former Liverpool ace Robbie Fowler -
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Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler has ended an anxious wait for A-League newcomers the North Queensland Fury and agreed to become their inaugural marquee player.
The Fury have been sweating on an answer since Fowler returned to England on January 22 to discuss a potential move to Australia with his family after spending a week in Townsville.
The Fury announced in Townsville on Wednesday that the former England international had signed a two-season deal.
North Queensland make their A-League debut in the 2009-10 season.
Signing the striker known by Liverpool fans as "God" is arguably the biggest coup in A-League history.
Fury coach Ian Ferguson and chairman Don Matheson had been in talks with Fowler since he was released by English Premier League side Blackburn recently.
"We want to win games - that's what we're about," Matheson said.
"Robbie is a legitimate international superstar of the game and there's no doubt he will give us every chance of winning.
"It's taken a lot of work to make this happen, but it was worth it because I really believe having him playing for North Queensland Fury FC will change the way people think about the A-League."
Fowler scored 183 goals in 265 appearances with Liverpool but also had stints with Leeds, Manchester City and Cardiff before emerging at Blackburn.
He scored seven goals in 27 appearances for England.
Fowler is hugely popular but has also had his share of controversy.
He made world headlines in 1999 when he responded to Everton taunts by mimicking cocaine snorting on the touchline during a goal celebration in a Merseyside derby.
Fowler will become the second high-profile former English Premier League star to play in the A-League following Dwight Yorke's successful stint with Sydney FC in the competition's inaugural season.
Sydney almost lured Fowler to Australia in 2007 but the deal ultimately fell through.
