Dwight Yorke will officially leave Birmingham City on June 30 to sign for Sydney of Australia.

The former Aston Villa striker has agreed a twoyear deal with the Hyundai A-League club and, subject to the formalities of passing a medical and fitness test, has effectively ended his Premiership career.

Yorke, who underachieved badly at St Andrew's, and only started four Premiership matches for Birmingham, seems set to leave England for Australia this month.

Andy Harper, the Sydney chief executive, says that Yorke, aged 33, turned down more lucrative offers from the Middle East to move into the A-League.

"We are just absolutely over the moon that he has decided that this is where he wants to spend the next two years off his football career," Harper said. "He has been around, and he has certainly learnt from the best on how to win football matches.

"Suffice to say that he has come here for a lot less money than he could have made in the Middle East, and I think that speaks volumes for exactly what he wants to achieve out of this move.

"He could quite easily have gone for a great deal more money and retired even wealthier.

"When he arrived last week for his three-day visit to have a look at the Sydney FC set-up and meet the people, he just generated enormous media interest then.

"When he puts pen to paper for Sydney FC and starts work with us he will have an enormous impact off the field and catch the imagination and the attention of the public."