Adelaide United’s James Troisi to face Brisbane Roar coach Robbie Fowler, 13 years after the pair met in an English reserves match
They squared off 13 years ago in north Wales when one was a starstruck teenager and the other was already a goal scoring great. Now James Troisi and Robbie Fowler are set to renew their rivalry in the A-League.
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James Troisi is ready to renew rivalries with Robbie Fowler, 13 years after the pair last locked horns on a cold Autumn night in north Wales.
The Adelaide United midfielder was set to make his home debut for the Reds when they host Brisbane Roar at Hindmarsh Stadium on Sunday.
In the opposition dugout will be Liverpool great Fowler, who the SA-born Socceroo met as a youngster playing for Newcastle United in a Premier League reserves fixture in October, 2006.
Both Troisi and Fowler, coming back from injury at the time, got on the scoresheet as the Magpies downed the Merseysiders 4-1 at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham.
And the starstruck teenager even grabbed a prized souvenir to mark the occasion.
“I don’t think he (Fowler) remembers that,” Troisi, now 31, laughed.
“But I actually got his top – I should get it signed.
“Obviously he was a world class player ... and it was when I was coming up through the ranks.
“But it’s a nice little memory to have.”
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For Fowler, who scored 183 goals in two spells at Anfield, it was to be his last season with Liverpool, while Troisi left Newcastle two years later without having played a senior game.
More than a decade on, the duo will be looking to build on mixed starts to the campaign for their respective A-League sides in the Remembrance Round clash.
Fowler had just two points to show from his first three fixtures as Roar coach.
Meanwhile, Troisi hoped his first outing as a Red, a gritty come-from-behind success away to
Newcastle Jets a fortnight ago, was a good omen following the weekend’s bye.
“Physically I’m surprisingly feeling really good,” said Troisi, who joined his hometown club from Melbourne Victory last month.
“We’ve had not so much of a break, because we worked pretty hard (in training), but we’ve relaxed a little bit.
“I’m happy to get my first 90 minutes and most importantly our first win of the season, and now we want to carry that on.
“Coopers is a great little boutique stadium and I always loved paying (there) against Adelaide.
“Obviously now it’s with Adelaide, so it's a fantastic.
“We’re at home and we want to potentially make that a mini-fortress.”
Adelaide would still be without the injured George Blackwood (glute), Jordan Elsey (knee) and Mirko Boland (hamstring) for the visit of Brisbane.
The trio trained with the squad this past week, but manager Gertjan Verbeek deemed them not fit enough for match action.
United would also be missing young guns Louis D’Arrigo and Lachlan Brooks due to Young Socceroos duty.
But any Reds named in the under-23 national squad for next week’s friendly tournament in China, likely to include Riley McGree and Al Hassan Toure, would be available for Sunday.
Troisi, who was deployed in a deeper midfield role than the playmaker berth he had spent most of his career, said putting the team first remained his priority.
“I’m a little bit lucky that I’m a bit more versatile,” said the 37-cap international, after setting up McGree’s equaliser in the Hunter.
“I generally like to play in more of a central position, whether that's a 10, an 8 or a 6.
“Ultimately I have to do what I can for the team.
“I had a chat before I signed with the gaffer ... and he explained a few things and I was quite positive and happy with playing the way he wants me to play.
“Sometimes when you’re playing more of a deeper role, you can get the ball a little bit more.
“I enjoyed it and I was still creating a lot which is important.”