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Gold Coast United's Shane Smeltz - Source: Getty Images -
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All Whites striker Shane Smeltz is back "home" on the Gold Coast, though a return to the A-League is yet to be confirmed after his brief flirtation with Chinese Super League football club Shandong Luneng.
Smeltz returned to Australia last night just five days into a two-year contract with Shandong, aware Gold Coast United are keen to re-sign him.
The 28-year-old still has to formalise his future, a potentially tricky process involving Shandong, Gold Coast United, Australia's Professional Footballers Association and Football Federation Australia.
Smeltz, who enhanced his reputation when playing all three games for New Zealand at the World Cup in South Africa, reportedly signed a $500,000 deal with Shandong.
But after spending a couple of days in Shandong's home base at Jinan - 400km south of Beijing - Smeltz realised it would be too much to ask his wife Nikki and two small children to relocate.
Smeltz had a $300,000 buyout clause in his Gold Coast contract, which Shandong is understood to have paid.
Gold Coast believe Smeltz is free to rejoin them immediately because the club had not sent off his international clearance form to complete the transfer.
It is hoped Smeltz's status will be clarified this week.
Gold Coast announced last Sunday they had reluctantly agreed to sell Smeltz, one of the A-League's most prolific strikers.
Club owner Clive Palmer yesterday said he was hopeful of retaining Smeltz for the upcoming 2010-11 season which starts for the Gold Coast against Brisbane Roar on August 8.
Smeltz debuted for the Wellington Phoenix in 2007, netting 40 goals in 65 appearances.
He scored 19 goals in United's inaugural campaign in 2009-10 to easily win the league's golden boot honours for the second successive season.
Smeltz played with Mansfield Town, Wimbledon and Halifax Town in England prior to joining the Phoenix.
He had previously been linked English Premier League club Fulham while moves to Germany, Turkey, Qatar and Japan were also rumoured.
Meanwhile, although Smeltz quickly cooled on the prospect of furthering his career in China, World Cup teammate Ivan Vicelich has signed a four-month contract with Shenzhen Ruby FC.
Vicelich, 33, will return to play for Auckland City in the NZFC when the Chinese season ends in mid-November, but international rules governing professionals playing in amateur leagues means he will miss about six games as he serves a 30-day stand-down period.
