BROWNLOW Medallist Ben Cousins has returned to the West Coast Eagles — and left two young current-day players in awe.

Cousins returned to the club on Monday as he commenced part-time role in the Eagles’ community and game development department — a position he was offered just hours after he was released from prison last month.

Sporting a beard and long hair, Cousins met with some of the club’s young players at the Eagles’ headquarters at Subiaco Oval.

The two biggest starstruck players were Willie Rioli and Liam Ryan, who posed with Cousins for a photo.

Round 18

Rioli later uploaded the photo to Instagram — using goat (GOAT, greatest of all time) and king crown emojis in the caption — before it was deleted minutes later.

“Still a legend in our eyes,” Rioli wrote.

“Honoured to have met him an had a (little) laugh.”

Ben Cousins played 238 games for West Coast. Source: Supplied

This season will be Rioli’s second on the Eagles’ list, while Ryan was drafted by the club in the 2017 national draft.

Cousins, a former West Coast captain, has had long battled a drug addiction and was in jail from March 2017 to January for causing “ongoing terror” to ex-partner Maylea Tinecheff.

During his time behind bars, Cousins was involved in a minor scuffle but was not injured. He also failed a drug test, which delayed an earlier opportunity for parole in August, as he had to complete rehabilitation courses.

Upon his release, the Eagles — the club Cousins played 238 games for — were quick to lend a hand by offering him a part-time role.

“We believe (it) will have mutual benefits for both parties,” the club said last month.

“This has been a particularly hard time for Ben and his family and we look forward to him beginning the next phase of his life.”