After saying goodbye to Juventus earlier this summer, Alessandro Del Piero has decided to continue his football career in Australia, signing a two-year contract with Sydney FC. "I will be Australian for the next two years," said the former Bianconeri captain during a press conference on Wednesday.

The 37-year-old made 705 senior appearances and scored 289 goals – both Juventus records – over 19 seasons in Turin. He won the the 1996 UEFA Champions League as well as six Serie A titles, most recently last term. A FIFA World Cup winner with Italy in 2006, 'Pinturicchio' played 91 times for his country, scoring 27 goals.

"It's a special day for me," the forward said. "I'm going to start an amazing adventure and I think it is the best solution at the end of a long road. I'd like to thank every club that expressed their interest in signing me and also those people who stayed close to me in this period. I'll move to a fantastic country and a beautiful city. I leave a team after 19 years but I'll continue to support them forever. This will be very exciting experience."

Tony Pignata, Sydney's chief executive, said of the A-League's newest recruit: "Del Piero is an icon and a legend. This is a great opportunity for Australian football, it's an honour to have him with us."

"There will be 100% collaboration between me and Sydney, between me and the A-League, we have a lot of ideas," added Del Piero. "It's something unique and fascinating. I hope to help football to become a main sport in Australia where there is a big Italian community. I'm proud to be part of this."