A-League 2020: Wellington Phoenix defender Luke DeVere targets title to cap off comeback

Offered a chance to resurrect his career by Wellington Phoenix coach Ufuk Talay, Luke DeVere has again proved his worth.

Luke DeVere struggled for game time last season with Brisbane Roar. Picture: Tony Feder/Getty Images

An A-League title was probably the last thing on Luke DeVere’s mind when he joined Wellington Phoenix.

The ex-Socceroos defender’s career was at the crossroads after he had been all but written off by his former club Brisbane Roar.

DeVere made just five appearances for the Roar last season and wasn’t offered a new deal.

But still only 30 at the time, DeVere knew he wasn’t a spent force, but just needed someone to believe in him.

And that someone was new Wellington coach Ufuk Talay, who offered the centre-back a one-year deal.

It proved to be a wise move by Talay, with DeVere having started in 24 of the Phoenix’s 26 matches this season and been a defensive rock in Wellington’s rise to third place on the A-League ladder.

Wellington’s Luke DeVere (left) battles with Adelaide United’s Al Hassan Toure. Picture:AAP Image/Kelly Barnes

“I was confident that I still had plenty to offer and was capable of performing and doing a job in a team,” said DeVere, who is set to line up in the heart of Wellington’s defence in Saturday’s elimination final against Perth Glory at Bankwest Stadium.

“Whether I had something to prove was probably for other people to judge, but for me it was more about an opportunity to go and enjoy my football again, and play somewhere I was going to have a string of games together.

“Last season people assumed I was injured but I wasn’t, so for me it’s been validation in the fact I haven’t been injury-prone or had huge injuries for a couple of years now, even though the perception last year was probably that way.”

Having re-established himself as one of the competition’s best defenders, DeVere new goal is to win an A-League title with the Phoenix.

A championship seemed well out reach after Wellington started the season with four successive losses.

But they recovered to win six and draw three of their next nine matches to set themselves up not only for a top-six berth but the highest-placed regular-season finish in club history.

“We’ve put ourselves in a decent position to have a good crack at the title,” DeVere said.

“The first four games of the season, while we didn’t get the results, there were still a lot of positive performances.,

“We look back on it and feel we were a little bit unlucky with some of those results in games where we actually played quite well.

“We were confident we were on the right path, and over the course of the season that’s come true and we’ve been pleased with how it’s played out.”

The Phoenix are wary of a Perth side that finished the season poorly to drop to sixth on the ladder.

“It’s finals football. Every team is dangerous if you don’t turn up on the day, you’re every chance of getting embarrassed a little bit,” DeVere said.

DeVere’s former Roar teammate, Olyroos striker Nick D’Agostino, has been ruled out of Perth’s squad due to a hamstring injury.

Glory coach Tony Popovic said: “Nick D’Agostino won’t be available - he got injured unfortunately in the Melbourne Victory game when he came on. A few others we’ve had to assess and manage through this period.”