Mathew Leckie’s return A-League season has been a ‘great experience’

Mathew Leckie is close to completing a fairytale return to the A-League, with his Melbourne City side one match away from the grand final.

Melbourne City fans have embraced Mathew Leckie on his return to the A-League. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Socceroos forward Mathew Leckie’s decision to return to the A-League this season has already been vindicated regardless of the outcome of Sunday’s semi-final at AAMI Park.

Leckie’s current club Melbourne City host his former team Adelaide United in the second leg of a do-or-die playoff locked at 0-0 following the midweek first leg at Coopers Stadium.

Frustrated with a lack of football in Germany with Hertha Berlin, Leckie signed with City last June soon after the club’s premiership-championship double-winning effort.

City is halfway towards repeating the feat, having clinched the 2021-2022 premiership on the penultimate night of the regular season.

Leckie, 31, has played a key role in City’s impressive season, having scored 10 goals in 24 appearances in all competitions as part of a lethal attacking arsenal that includes fellow Socceroos Jamie Maclaren, Marco Tilio and Andrew Nabbout.

Mathew Leckie has enjoyed his return to the A-League. Picture: Will Russell/Getty Images

“I’ve enjoyed my football,” Leckie said.

“Most importantly I wanted to be playing again. The season before in Europe I wasn’t getting much game time, so for me, one of the big reasons for joining City was to be fit and healthy, and be playing regularly again.

“There was a lot do deal with early on with Covid and getting myself sorted with where I was living, but once I was settled and in routine, it’s been really good.

“There are no complaints so far. Being premiers in my first year here has been a great experience.”

Despite winning the premiership, City has failed to beat any of the other top-four teams – Melbourne Victory, Western United and Adelaide – in 10 matches, including the midweek semi-final first-leg draw, in 10 attempts this season.

“There are always stats, and talking points,” Leckie said.

“The players aren’t bothered by it at all based on how those games panned out. We could have won those games.

“There were a lot of things that went wrong, and the reasons why we didn’t get results were based on our own individual errors and lack of concentration in moments.”

Originally published as Mathew Leckie’s return A-League season has been a ‘great experience’