Socceroos attacker Andrew Nabbout walks away from Japan contract to return to Melbourne Victory
Socceroos striker Andrew Nabbout has revealed the reason behind his decision to walk away from a lucrative Japanese contract and return to Melbourne Victory.
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Socceroos striker Andrew Nabbout revealed that family reasons were behind his decision to walk away from a lucrative Japanese contract and return to Melbourne Victory.
New Victory coach Marco Kurz, who led Adelaide United to two successful A-League campaigns and two FFA Cup finals without a prolific striker, is licking his licks at the prospect of unveiling his new-look attack, headlined by Swedish gun Ola Toivonen.
Plucked from obscurity to become Bert van Marwijk’s No.1 striker at Russia 2018, Nabbout is capable of playing on either wing or as a second striker while Robbie Kruse is equally versatile.
Nabbout, who scored once in 28 games during a 16-month stint with Urawa Red Diamonds, said it was the right time to return to the club that handed him his professional debut.
“I’m delighted to be coming back to Victory – this is a fantastic opportunity,” Nabbout said.
“After speaking with the club and discussing with my wife, we thought it was the right time to return to Melbourne. My wife and I are expecting our first child in November so to be around family will give us a big boost of support.
“From a football perspective, I just can’t wait to play.
“The club’s expectations are clear in wanting to achieve success – I expect nothing less from Victory and I’m very excited to be given the chance to work towards that.”
Meanwhile, Melbourne Victory signing Robbie Kruse says he can still help the Socceroos qualify for the 2022 World Cup.
Kruse ended an eight-year tenure in Germany, which included Champions League football with giants Bayer Leverkusen, rejecting overseas offers to return to the club he says changed his life.
Despite spending 18 months on the sidelines with two serious injuries, Kruse, 30, has amassed 75 Socceroos caps.
A cruciate ligament injury robbed him of a chance of featuring at the 2014 World Cup, before he started in both the 2015 Asian Cup win and Russia 2018. Kruse admitted there were no guarantees from Socceroos boss Graham Arnold on the road to Qatar.
“It’s a long qualifying phase and very difficult once you get to the second round,” Kruse said. “I think my experience can be of use, but it all comes down to how I’m performing.
“I’ve been in regular contact with Graham. I spoke to him the other day and we discussed my future and we were open about it.
“I said I’ll always put my hand up to play for the national team.”
Victory coach Marco Kurz said Kruse’s attacking intelligence would be an asset.
Originally published as Socceroos attacker Andrew Nabbout walks away from Japan contract to return to Melbourne Victory
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