Move to Melbourne City has paid dividends for grateful Kai Trewin

The impressive Kai Trewin made the right decision in leaving Brisbane Roar to join Melbourne City.

Kai Trewin hasn’t looked back since leaving A-League battlers Brisbane Roar to join glamour club Melbourne City.

Realising he needed to part ways with Brisbane to take his game and professionalism to another level, Trewin jumped at the chance to move to City last year.

The change of scenery has paid dividends. Not only is Trewin a leading player in a team contending for the A-League championship, he has also been recognised by Socceroos coach Tony Popovic with selection in Australia’s 26-man squad for last month’s matches against Indonesia and China.

“I learnt a lot at Brisbane and I’ve taken a lot of that with me, but Melbourne City has given me a good platform to go on with my game, and I’m just trying to make the most of it,” the 23-year-old Batemans Bay product said.

“I’m loving Melbourne as a whole. I’m loving playing for the club, playing with my teammates has been great, and it’s been going well for me, so I’m very happy to have made the move.”

Able to play as a central defender or a defensive midfielder, Trewin’s versatility, skill and maturity beyond his years have been crucial in second-placed City’s bid for A-League honours, which continues on Saturday night at AAMI Park against Adelaide United.

Kai Trewin (right) celebrates scoring for Melbourne City against Western Sydney Wanderers. Picture: Jason McCawley/Getty Images

“We’ve put ourselves in a good position for the end of the season, and we’ve been riding the momentum,” he said.

And while Trewin’s priority is helping City lift silverware, he knows that his hopes of again being selected in the Socceroos squad for June’s FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Japan and Saudi Arabia will be helped by strong performances in next month’s A-League finals series.

“If I can myself back in the Socceroos squad that’d be another amazing achievement, and something I’ll be very grateful for,” said Trewin, who despite not securing a maiden cap against either Indonesia or China, “loved every minute” of his time in camp with the national team.

“I learnt a lot of things from it that I’ll take with me for the rest of my career ... but right now I’m focused on the game against Adelaide and the finals series.”

While City needs a miracle to bump Auckland FC out of first place and Premier’s Plate honours, finishing second will secure the Melbourne club an AFC Champions League Elite spot next season as Auckland is ineligible to compete in Asian competition due to being based in New Zealand, an Oceania Football Confederation nation.

“We know how important the run home is. It’s massive for the club if we can get in that (Champions League) competition as well,” Trewin said.