Adelaide United midfielder James Troisi ready to face former club Melbourne Victory having rejected an offer to stay at Victorian side
James Troisi is braced for a hostile reception as he prepares to do battle with Adelaide United’s biggest rival and his former club Melbourne Victory. But he has no regrets about moving clubs.
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He is braced for a hostile reception from visiting supporters and is unsure if he will celebrate a goal should he happen to score one.
But James Troisi has no regrets about turning his back on an offer to remain at Melbourne Victory, as he prepares to face his old club with bitter rival Adelaide United.
The SA-born Socceroo has slotted in seamlessly to the Reds midfield, registering three-straight wins from as many games since joining his hometown team in October.
He will meet his former employer in an already spicy encounter at Hindmarsh Stadium on Saturday night, five months on from the end of his second Victory stint.
“It’s going to be an interesting feeling,” said Troisi, who scored 28 goals in 108 matches during four seasons with the Victorian outfit.
“There’s definitely a lot of good memories there (Victory) and I did a lot of good things.
“But the way things were dealt with and handled were not great.
“There was an offer (of a new contract) made, but it wasn’t something I could consider.
“That’s just business and that’s how it is.
“In football, players come and go and you need to move on pretty quickly.
“That’s obviously given me the opportunity to come back home and play my football.
“I’m an Adelaide United player now and I just need to do my job.”
Troisi will share top billing with Victory coach Marco Kurz, who is set for his maiden appearance at the home of SA soccer since his two-year spell as Reds boss finished.
The 37-cap international did not talk to the German mentor about staying in Melbourne, despite Kurz taking over the reigns 15 weeks before Troisi signed for Adelaide.
He remains appreciative of his time at Victory, which included a title win in 2017/18.
But Troisi is yet to decide whether he will curb celebrations out of respect for his previous club, if he notches his first United goal against its arch-enemy.
“I would be extremely happy and excited to score, so I’ll see how we go,” Troisi, 31, laughed.
“The headlines are obviously going to be Marco and myself, so that is going to enhance and make it a bit of a bigger occasion.
“But ultimately, it’s always been a big game and I can’t get caught up in it too much.
“A lot of Victory supporters usually come down to watch the game, so that adds a bit of fuel to the fire.
“I’m sure my reception (from the away fans) will be pretty hostile, but that’s what you get.
“People don’t know or understand what really goes on behind the scenes.
“But for Adelaide, it’s the biggest game of the season and these are games you want to play in.
“With it being at home, we want to put on a good performance for the fans so they can enjoy it as well.”
The 2015 Asian Cup winner has flourished in a deeper midfield role under Gertjan Verbeek this campaign.
Troisi, who has spent most of his career as a playmaker or winger, has provided two assists for colleagues, while pulling the strings in the Reds’ engine room.
Troisi said the quieter lifestyle of the SA capital suited his Kiwi wife, Bronte, and four-and-a-half-month-old son Izea Wolf.
“Melbourne was great,” said Troisi, who has also played in Italy, Turkey, Belgium, Saudi Arabia and China.
“We bought a house there and it’s a beautiful city.
“But to be honest, I don’t mind change and I’ve moved a lot in my career.
“I’m back home and I haven’t been here for a long time.
“Especially with the little one, it’s nice to be in a bit of a smaller city with my family around.
“I’m actually really surprised, because every time (in the past) I came home I was only here for a couple of days, so you generally just stay at home and have a big barbecue.
“But we’ve been able to get out a little bit and explore.
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“Adelaide has changed a lot and there’s a lot more happening, so we’re really enjoying it.”
Troisi credited much of the Reds’ promising start to the recruiting of director of football Bruce Djite, a close friend and teammate at Turkish club Genclerbirligi a decade ago.
He was ineligible for last month’s FFA Cup final triumph, but said Adelaide had the quality to challenge for more silverware, as demonstrated in last Saturday’s 3-1 success at Central Coast.
“I definitely think we have a lot of potential,” said Troisi, of fifth-placed United.
“We’ve been doing well, but I’ve personally never been satisfied.
“You always have the ability to improve and get better.
“The first 60 minutes of the weekend’s (Mariners) game was fantastic and then it wasn’t so great.
“When we’re on, we’re very dangerous.
“But we don’t want to get carried away, because then you get complacent.
“We’ve still got a lot of work to do and there’s a lot more to come.”