Australian striker Brent McGrath has returned to Denmark for his second stint in Europe, signing a one-year deal with FC Fredericia.
McGrath ignored the chance to increase the Australian delegation at Randers, while also rejecting the overtures of other Superliga sides and Swedish top-tier outfit Hammarby in preference for the Danish second-tier club.
The one-time Socceroo becomes the fourth Australian to sign with a Danish club this season, following Mustafa Amini and Jack Duncan at Randers, plus Awer Mabil at FC Midtjylland.
McGrath started his professional career with Brondby in the Danish top tier but chose a lower-profile club to kick-start his career after two seasons in Thailand.
As first reported by Goal Australia, McGrath's focus for the next stage of his career is on "development", and he revealed the chance to work with well-regarded coach Ove Pedersen was too good to ignore.
"I decided to come here so I can become a better player under this coach," McGrath told Goal Australia after signing with Fredericia.
"[Pedersen] is a very well-known coach in Danish football and he told me he wanted me and that I was what the team needed."
Pedersen, 60, has previously coached Superliga clubs Midtjylland, Esbjerg, AGF, FC Vestsjaelland and Odense.
While Fredericia finished just above the relegation zone in the Danish 1st Division last season, they are flying under Pedersen so far in 2015-16, sitting third in the promotion positions with eight points from four matches.
"I think there's a good chance we can come up to the Superliga next season if we all do our jobs and work hard as a team," McGrath said.
The Sydney-born striker signed on a free transfer on Wednesday after starting the 2015 Thai Premier League campaign with Port FC.
Before the contract was finalised, Pedersen told bold.dk: "We are trying to assemble a team where the players are hungry… McGrath has been carefully selected based on those same parameters."
In his previous stint in Denmark, McGrath scored five goals in 47 games for Brondby and made his senior debut for Australia, coming off the bench in the Socceroos' 2-1 win over Germany in 2011.
