Asian Cup 2015: Socceroos star Robbie Kruse says Melbourne Victory changed career outlook

ROBBIE Kruse burst onto the A-League scene in 2007 but within two years his professional career was on the ropes. Six years later and he’s flying again.

Socceroo Robbie Kruse photo shoot.

ROBBIE Kruse burst onto the A-League scene in 2007 but within two years his professional football career was on the ropes.

Having shown glimpses of brilliance, a professional offer from overseas was tabled within months, but it coincided with his life unraveling.

Fed up Brisbane Roar refused to re-sign the “bad egg”, and while the rest of Australia ignored the troubled talent, Melbourne Victory offered him an olive branch just shy of his 21st birthday.

KRUSE: I’M READY TO EXPLODE

DOES ROBBIE KRUSE MAKE YOUR XI? PICK YOUR SIDE IN OUR SOCCEROOS TEAM SELECTOR

Robbie Kruse says Melbourne Victory holds a special place in his heart.

Old habits were initially hard to kick for Kruse, who ducked out for a quiet one upon arriving.

“I went out the first night in Melbourne. I was staying in the hotel and I was bored and that was the type of thing I used to do,’’ Kruse said.

“But I few days later when I walked into that changeroom and saw Archie Thompson and Kevin Muscat, it was intimidating and it grounded me.

“I saw how old Kevin was and how he still applied himself, and the same with Archie, and realised I had to change my ways.

“I slipped up every now and then but the club supported me through it.

“I got close with people who were a good influence, (former keeper) Mitch Langerak, who showed me that you can have a good time but still be professional.

“I realised I could go out for a few drinks but call it quits a bit earlier, but at Brisbane I wouldn’t go home until I had to be at training, maybe an hour before.’’

Two years before Merrick spotted potential in him, so did Dutch powerhouse FC Twente, who threw a professional contract at the teenager at first sight in 2007, when he had just a few A-League games under his belt.

Robbie Kruse is hoping to make a huge impact at the Asian Cup.

“My first season at Roar I went to FC Twente and was overweight, unfit and they still wanted to sign me,’’ he said.

“The transfer was done with Brisbane. I don’t know why but I declined and refused to stay there. I wanted to come home and I booked a flight for that night.

“It sunk in a couple of weeks later, I was in a rut in my life then I would just go out and drink and forget about everything.

“The problem for me growing up was that I always felt I could get by on my natural ability and never looked to be professional until I moved to Melbourne.

“In Brisbane I got home late with training early next morning. But I couldn’t keep doing it.

“It wore my body down, I wasn’t eating right, I was eating takeaway all the time, and eventually your body shuts down.

“One time I got king hit once outside a nightclub and there were a few scuffles, but it was blown out of proportion. Once it was in the media that you were a bad egg then it continues to flow.’’

Merrick’s Victory assistant Aaron Healey admitted the club took a punt handing him a two-year deal in 2009.

Robbie Kruse in his Melbourne Victory days.

“He was at a career crossroads when he signed,’’ Healey said.

“You heard the bad stories but we never found that. He realised that this was his last crack at it and pulled his head in.

“He worked extremely hard and with a strong and supportive culture and environment with good support staff and solid squad, he rekindled his career, which was a credit to him.

“I don’t think he’d been in an environment that wanted to help him and he responded.’’

Kruse said the Victory family backed him in and he repaid them with 16 goals in 39 games.

It coincided with a maiden Socceroos call up in December 2010, before Fortuna Dusseldorf bought him six months later.

“I didn’t realise what you can do with football until I moved here and they brought the best out of me and now I get to live a great life,’’ Kruse said.

“At Brisbane I got by doing the bare minimum because I knew I could but my career was stagnating. Victory it was a real eye opener.

Kevin Muscat soon put the young Robbie Kruse in his place.

“It was a very close changeroom and that helped me a lot, it was the whole culture of the club.

“Ernie and Aaron didn’t get enough credit for what they did at Victory and I probably didn’t appreciate what Ernie did for me until I left Australia. He believed in me.

“You go through your career sometimes without any manager really having faith in you and he definitely had full faith in me and backed me undoubtedly and it gave me the confidence to grow and express myself.

“Sometimes you don’t feel established at a place and I definitely felt that at Melbourne, they took me in, the fans loved me and if I come back to the A-League I’d only play for Victory.’’

In 2013-14 Kruse was flying after his transfer to Bayer Leverkusen, having already established himself as a Socceroos gun.

He became a regular for one of the biggest club’s in one of the world’s top three leagues, before disaster struck.

He tore his anterior cruciate ligament last January, ruling him out of the 2014 World Cup.

But the reformed Kruse conducted a militant rehab with his sights set on the 2015 Asian Cup.

Kruse, who will marry long-time girlfriend Tiharny (another stabilising influence) in June, said those who haven’t seen him in years wouldn’t recognise him.

“Now if anyone hangs around with me for a few days they’ll see that I’m very strict with everything I do,’’ he said.

“I rarely drink, I don’t go out, I’m very focused on getting the best out of my career.

“Overseas is a totally different lifestyle, you have to do everything to the letter of the law or you’re in big trouble.

“There’s thousands of kids ready to take your spot at any moment and you must be on your toes.’’

Healey predicted Kruse, now 26, would make an impact at the Asian Cup.

“He loved the big occasion,’’ he said.

“I remember he scored a cracker from 25 yards in a major semi-final, and back on home soil he can rise to the occasion.’’

And it will be a trip down memory lane on Friday when he walks into the AAMI Park changerooms ahead of the Asian Cup opener against Kuwait.

The same place where Muscat and Thompson eyeballed him five years ago.

Originally published as Asian Cup 2015: Socceroos star Robbie Kruse says Melbourne Victory changed career outlook