Why Dundee United are signing A-League talent

Why Dundee United are signing A-League talentImage source, Kelly Defina via Getty ImagesImage caption, Joshua Rawlins is the third A-League player Dundee United have signed on a pre-contract dealByThomas DuncanBBC Sport ScotlandPublished19 March 2026Updated 1 minute agoByTyrone SmithBBC Sport Scotland Senior ReporterDundee United have signed Australian defender Joshua Rawlins for next season - their third recruit from the A-League already.The 22-year-old right wing-back, who can also play centre-back, has signed a two-year deal, with United holding an option of another year, after his contract at Melbourne Victory expired.Rawlins made 46 appearances for the club after returning to Australia following a brief stint in Utrecht's academy and helped them to this year's A-League final.He joins his compatriot Lachlan Rose and New Zealand international Jesse Randall in making the move to Tannadice from the A-League this summer.They will add to a growing contingent of players from Australia and New Zealand making a mark in Scotland.Why A-League is an attractive marketThere are 16 players from Australia and two who represent New Zealand playing in Scotland, many of whom have made a big impact.United signed striker Zac Sapsford from Western Sydney last summer and he has had a good first season, scoring 10 times in 42 games so far.Hearts midfielder Cammy Devlin has been in Scotland for nearly five years and has turned into one of the best players in the country.While Motherwell midfielder Elijah Just was nominated for PFA Scotland Player of the Year in his debut campaign at Fir Park, having played in Austria and Denmark after his move from his native New Zealand.Like every transfer in football, there are no guarantees. Sapsford's former team-mate at Western Sydney, Aberdeen winger Nicolas Milanovic, has struggled to make an impact despite being named A-League player of the year last term.But after United announced the signings of Rose and Randall, manager Jim Go...