Australia national football team defender Ryan McGowan has completed his transfer to Chinese Super League squad Henan Jianye FC on Sunday, recent reports say, making him the latest Socceroo to join China's first division football competitions.

The Red Devils paid Scottish Premiership club Dundee United FC an undisclosed transfer fee for the services of the 26-year-old defensive midfielder, who had also previously played for CSL team Shandong Luneng Taishan FC from 2013 to 2014.

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Football Australia reported that the "move has been mooted for some time" as McGowan's playing time with Dundee had been dwindling all season. The paperwork for his China transfer had been ongoing but it was only finalized days before the China winter window closed.

McGowan was signed by the Tangerines in January of last year to an 18-month contract. He had only played 15 games and had scored only once mainly as a defender during his short stint for the Scottish club.

Dundee is currently at the cellar of Scotland's top flight football league, 11 points adrift of closest competitor Kilmarnock, and will surely be relegated to the Scottish Championship by the end of the season.

"I have really enjoyed my twelve months at United and I would like to thank everyone at the Club, from the fans, coaches, fellow players to everyone behind the scenes who made it a great experience," McGowan said, via the Daily Record. "I was proud to have captained the team on a couple of occasions this season and leave with many positive memories."

"I am excited to be heading back to Chinese football and it is a great move for me to a fantastic club in Henna Jianye. Once United had accepted the bid I was very interested in the move. Now that all the paperwork is completed, I look forward to the next stage of my football career," he added.

TagsFootball Transfer News, Chinese Super League, Henan Jianye FC, Ryan McGowan, Dundee United FC