Serginho van Dijk slots right back in with Adelaide United team-mates

ADELAIDE United defender Tarek Elrich revealed Serginho van Dijk is already a member of the Reds coffee club as the striker made a big impression at his first Reds training session since his shock return.

15/1/16 Serginho van Dijk pictured at The Adelaide United Football Club where by coincidence there was a poster of him on the wall from 2012 when he last played for the club. Picture by Matt Turner.

ADELAIDE United defender Tarek Elrich revealed Serginho van Dijk is already a member of the Reds coffee club as the striker made a big impression at his first Reds training session since his shock return.

Van Dijk, 33, didn’t look out of place at Elizabeth Tuesday, ahead of United’s clash with table-topping Brisbane Roar at Suncorp Stadium on Friday.

Van Dijk will continue to be assessed by Reds coach Guillermo Amor and his staff while United’s conditioning and medical unit monitor the goal- machine closely before the club makes a decision.

It’s highly unlikely van Dijk will become an A-League player this season — he doesn’t meet Football Federation Australia’s stringent guest player criteria — and Adelaide would have to cut loose a foreign player to make that happen.

Signing the Dutchman with an Indonesian passport as an AFC Champions League import is closer to reality with Asia allowing one foreigner from within the confederation, but outside of Australia, a chance to join three other imports.

“Serge (Van Dijk), he’s quality, he provides that physical presence up front, and, now he provides some competition with him and Bruce (Djite) up front,’’ Elrich said.

“I’ve heard some good things, some funny things about the bloke (van Dijk) and (Monday) he and Bruce came past my place and had a coffee.

“I got to know him a bit more and yeah, look he’s going to add that quality to the squad.”

Van Dijk arrived in Adelaide last week after contemplating a move back to Adelaide after his Thai contract came to an end last year.

With van Dijk needing to convince the Reds he is fit enough to play in Adelaide’s AFC Champions League sudden death clash on February 9 at Coopers Stadium, the likelihood of signing Socceroos star James Troisi as an A-League marquee player is becoming distant for the Reds.

Troisi, 27, has been courted by a Chinese Super League club which is in the process of offering the SA-born attacker a lucrative contract.

But with skipper Eugene Galekovic expected to return from injury after a groin problem ruled him out of the Reds 3-1 win over Central Coast at home last Saturday, Elrich remained confident the Reds could cause an upset over John Aloisi’s men.

“It’s about beating Brisbane,’’ Elrich said. “We’ve got a big game up there and we’ll just continue what we’re doing.

“They’re coming off a big loss (4-0 to Melbourne Victory last weekend) they’ll be firing and ready for it and playing at home again.”

“For them they’ve got a lot to play for, keeping their position at the top of the table and for us it’s about making sure we stay away from the guys (teams) that are under us.”

Originally published as Serginho van Dijk slots right back in with Adelaide United team-mates