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'I thought I'd retired' - How Western United convinced Gulum to play again

The veteran defender is ready for a return to the A-League with the competition's newest club

After dropping down to the Victorian State League with Whittlesea United last year, Ersan Gulum thought his days playing top-flight football were well and truly behind him.

But the former Besiktas defender, who was bought for a reported $11 million by Chinese side Hebei China Fortune in 2016, has been lured out of semi-retirement by new A-League side Western United.

The 32-year-old revealing coach Mark Rudan's enthusiasm and a realisation he was still relatively young, enough to ensure he delayed hanging up the boots.