Adelaide United have pulled off a quiet, quality and important coup in signing Socceroo Dario Vidosic to a three-year A-League deal.
Vidosic returns to Australia in the prime of his career at 24, among national team coach Holger Osieck’s first-choice squad, and clear proof players now believe they are not at a Socceroos’ selection disadvantage by playing at home.
A 2010 World Cup squad member, capped 14 times for his country, Vidosic has been signed as the Reds’ Australian marquee player.
While current Socceroos have had a mixed bag on return to the A-League, Vidosic is confident he can deal with any pressure.
“You carry the pressure, but it’s a nice pressure to have,” Vidosic said from Adelaide.
“I want to put that pressure on myself to maintain being a Socceroo, but I think that can only benefit me, playing here and playing well.”
Vidosic starred in a handful of games for the then-Queensland Roar before moving three years ago to Germany.
But his international career blossomed amid misery in Germany at club level.
He was unable to make a mark at three German clubs – injuries and a series of loans unsettling him and leading to his return to choose an attack-minded club under Dutch coach Rini Coolen.
“The biggest motivation for me was just happiness – to enjoy my football again,” Vidosic said.
“I was being used wrong and I was starting not to enjoy it as much as I’d like to.
“I’m a pretty simple footballer. I like the ball at my feet and I missed that.”
For the Reds, it is a huge boost after selling last season’s A-League player of the year Marcos Flores to China last week and losing experienced Travis Dodd, Robbie Cornthwaite, Iain Fyfe and Lucas Pantelis.
“Dario fits exactly in our system. He can play on the left side, the right side, behind the striker,” Coolen said.
“Filling your squad with players like Dario, it’s fantastic for the league and for our club.”
Vidosic believes the move home will prove no hindrance to his Socceroos’ ambitions.
And Vidosic, whose father Rado is an assistant coach with the all-conquering Brisbane Roar, has earmarked silverware as a key motivator in choosing the Reds over other offers.
“We’ve set the ambitions – we want to set them high. If you look over the years how Adelaide have done, they have done well in the A-League and Asian Champions League.”
Striker
Guest
I agree JR he is a legend.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Thanks, one_football .. your HAL credentials are A-grade and I hope you continue to commit to the league. I'm surprised how much I love watching the HAL. I started as a cynical "Eurosnob" but now I'm hooked.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
One-Football Nice to discuss football with a fellow football fan! I'm in 100% agreement with you ... your list of names and their football CV are excellent - perhaps, we'll never see another group as talented as them? But, I think we will. But, let's also not gloss over how the lads got to that position ... ... when Timmy C started in England he was at Milwall ... and, NOT in the EPL; they were not even in the Championship! Timmy was playing with Milwall in League 1 (the old Division 3!) in England. Most careers started at less fashionable clubs at lower leagues. Bresc & Vinnie started at Empoli and played Serie B in Italy; the Duke started in the Croatian League before transferring to the Scottish Premier League ... neither are the "glamour leagues" of Europe. The HAL has only been operating 6 years and don't forget we "lost a few years" between the death of the NSL and the start of the HAL. I'm extremely excited by the fact that teams from technically-advanced leagues like Eredivisie and Bundesliga are not only watching the HAL but have started signing our young players. Let's give our lads time. PS: No, I'm not an employee of FFA or FIFA but if Frank or Sepp want to give me a call ... ;-)
one_football
Guest
Fuss, are you an FFA salesman or employed by the FFA 160+ of those aussies are playing in lower leagues, division 2, or on the bench every week for their division one side ok every weekend i would watch: Viduka for Leeds/newcastle/middlesborough Kewell - Leeds/Liverpool Cahil - Everton Zelic - BDortmund/ QPR Schwarzer - Middlesborough/Fulham Bosnich - Man UTD, Chelsea Aloisi - Osasuna/ Conventry City (scored some crackers for them in the EPL) Breciano - Palermo Grella - Parma/Torino Emerton - Blackburn Okon - Middlesborough Ok Fuss i can go on and on, they were in quality teams playing every weekend today is another story who's playing now and where? its embarrassing the clubs our players play in, most of them in division 2
one_football
Guest
ive been to all 6 seasons of the HAL, and im hoping for a west syd team because i dislike syd fc. yes the quality of play this season did jump significantly from previous seasons but that was mainly because brisbane roar and CC mariners stepped up and syd fc and MV went downhill. Fussball, i know your a defender of the game here, and i like you, you love the game and want to suceed and hate the other footy codes just as much as i do, i know you do however you dont need to jump in and defend the indenfensivable, its a fact and a growing trend that aussie players are not succeeding in europe as they did 10 years ago. i looked forward to watching the major european teams on the weekend just cos of their aussie players that has diminished significantly, and it comes down to individual skill and talent of the players, not the talent of the entire team. look at the player of the year for this years HAL Marco FLores, he came from the Argentine B division side Curicó Unido, the second division?? and yet he was the best player in the a-league, what does that tell you?
JR
Guest
In a 100 years Viduka will be remembered as one our of greats. Phenomenal talent.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Here's a list of over 170 Aussies playing professional football o/s, including a) England: EPL & Championship = 41 ... I don't recall so many players in England 10-15 years ago. b) Germany: Bundesliga 1 & 2 = 8 ... there have NEVER been so many Aussies in the top German leagues c) Netherlands: Eredivise & Eerste Divisie = 5 d) Italy: Serie A & B = 9 e) Scotland: SPL = 5 f) Turkey: Super Lig = 3 g) Croatia: HNL 1 & HNL 2= 5 h) Assorted top leagues of: Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Switzerland, Czech Rep, Portugal = 7 I don't recall there being so many players in top European leagues in the past? Source: http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Abroad/index.html
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Apologies, Striker this was not meant to be a reply to your post!
Striker
Guest
Our 2006 team was a golden era and now it will be a while before we can produce anything like to the qualities of aViduka and co they are not
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Can I ask how many HAL games you have attended in the past 6 years to reach your conclusion about the alleged decline of football talent in this country?
one_football
Guest
the decline of football talent in this country continues, first vidosic, now bouzanis. i used to love the days of watching viduka play for leeds, kewell for liverpool, and many others. you had all these players playing in the 3 best leagues - serie A, EPL, and La Liga all at once - Viduka, Kewell, Cahill, Shwarzer, Breciano, Grella, Okon, Zelic, Bosnich, Aloisi. all thats left is Cahil and Shwarzer, Breciano at Lazio but on the bench. and no new players have replaced the ones that have retired.
Striker
Guest
Gee a lot of young players coming back either the A-League is a good option or there not good enough in Europe
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
And another sensational signing for the HAL, in general, and MVFC, in particular, with former Liverpool youth GK Dean Bouzanis announcing that he has signed for MVFC. MVFC is accumulating a mouth-watering dream team. Just need that one more initial in the squad. Source: http://au.fourfourtwo.com/News/208583,victory-snap-up-bouzanis.aspx
Striker
Guest
Id say the players back then one football where of a golden generation with viduka,grella,kalac,popovic you cannot produce these type of players always it has nothing to to with the A-League, even these players say the a-League is great compared to the NSL in regards to professionalism and TV coverage.
one_football
Guest
His rapid return from Europe highlights a very concerning trend amongst young HAL players. The NSL was a real nursery for Socceroos with good European experience, and the HAL still has a long way to go to catch up. Vidosic should do well for Adelaide.
Stevo
Guest
I'm a fan of Vidosic. He always looks composed on the ball - even a touch of the Ned Zelic about him. Looking forward to seeing him do really well under Coolen - except when playing HeartFC!
Ben of Phnom Penh
Guest
Adelaide don't seem to make a lot of big signings however seem quite astute in regards to quality signings. Hats off once again to their scouting team.