Is there a more polarising figure in Australian football than Besart Berisha? Love him or loathe him, there is no denying that he is one of the best players to have ever graced our shores.
Is he the greatest? I feel that there is one trait he possesses that elevates him above all the others.
Since his arrival to the league in 2011 at the Brisbane Roar, he has gone on to make a substantial impact in all of his five and a half seasons.
If you were to objectively look at his raw numbers and list of achievements, one could easily mount a strong case that he is the one of the best the A-league has ever seen.
- A-league all-time leading goalscorer (95 goals)
- 3x A-league Grand Final winners’ medals, scoring at least a goal in each game
- 2x A-league Premiership wins, with two different clubs
- 4x A-league hat tricks (Joint most)
- 3x Selected in A-league team of the season
- Selected in A-league team of the decade
- Fastest A-league hat trick (six minutes)
He possesses a vast array of talents. There is his dogged, machine like work rate, his relentless and selfless desire to harass defenders and defend from the front.
There is his deadly eye for goal; his innate ability to position himself perfectly to be in the right place at the right time. And of course, there is his ability to lift his game at clutch moments. Few, if any, can boast the big match record that he has.
When we are deciding who is the greatest, what characteristics can we use to separate the contenders? If you were to look at football purely at its aesthetics, supremely gifted technical players such as Thomas Broich and Bruno Fornaroli spring immediately to mind. Then there are players like Alessandro Del Piero, whose raw star power has not been eclipsed.
However, in my opinion, there is one characteristic of Berisha that I feel separates him from all the others.
Besart Berisha is the best entertainer the league has ever had.
Equally revered for his abilities as he is reviled for his on field antics, Berisha remains a controversial figure to many.
On one hand, there are the goals and epic performances, on the other there’s the off ball contact, the dives, physical altercations, and verbal abuse that we has fans have all become accustomed to.
It is almost expected that every time he runs out onto a pitch, something is going to happen. There is never a dull moment with him in the game; everything that he does is pure theatre.
Ever willing to assume his role as a pantomime villain, there’s something mesmerising about him that never fails to elicit a response from all those who watch him. In pursuit of helping guide his team to victory at any cost, he selflessly accepts this role and embraces it, and has the humility to take as good as he can give.
He is not the most skillful player or the biggest name we’ve seen. However, Berisha is unique in that no other player could lay claim to his ability to consistently engage a crowd and garner equal parts adulation and condemnation.
Combine that with his aforementioned exceptional achievement record that few come close to, how can he not be considered the greatest?
Put simply in the words of Maximus Decimus Meridius: “Are you not entertained?”
Swanny
Guest
Berisha was awful against the jets . Maybe he is feeling upset abt his disgraceful behaviour against city
vin
Guest
poor reflection on the league if you think Berisha is the best aleague player ever
Josh Barton
Roar Pro
There is no doubting Alessandro is the biggest name the league has ever had. Never before had there been such a marketable star, with name recognition with people outside of football. But in ten or twenty years time, when people are sifting through the records, will his comparative lack of achievement on the field be held against him? Berisha has all the achievements and numbers to back his case as the greatest. History will look favourably upon him in that regard.
Caltex & SBS support Australian Football
Guest
Bersha, lacks humility. Alessandro Del Piero, may not have broken or held any HAL records, but his time in the HAL, will never be forgotten. On and off the field, ADP's time was invaluable for the HAL. A true marquee, in every sense of the term.
Ben
Guest
Berisha is a legend of the A-League. I wish he was still with Brisbane :-(
Onside
Guest
Brisbane never regained their mojo after Berisha left for Melbourne Victory. It was never the same. Berisha epitomized the heart and soul of the club. Salary caps et al. Rules are rules. No complaints. Understood. I get it. And as a Roar supporter would as happily have seen the reverse, Berisha been forced to have left Melbourne Victory and join Brisbane. The HAL clubs need long term heroes to cement tribal following . Berisha was in Australia for the long haul, not a one season marque . Ripping a key player out of one club to strengthen the wealthiest and largest club in the HAL , must represent the law of unintended consequences . Another key feature of Berisha 's play is he continually improves. Gets better. End of my sad little rant.
Swanny
Guest
I would rate Castro above berisha too . Nincovich Rojas and fornarili stick around they would be above berisha toon
jamesb
Guest
If someone like Ninkovic can replicate this season's form for the next few years, then perhaps he could be considered the greatest ever. IMO, he is the best player in the league with Castro not far behind. Of course in the overall context, Broich would be up there with Berisha. Broich has received the Johnny Warren Medal on two occasions and the Joe Marston Medal.
Swanny
Guest
He might be the greatest ever but he is not even the best player in his team . See Rojas and trioisi Broich would have a case for the best too