Besart Berisha went back to basics on journey that led back to A-League

Facing the prospect of premature retirement, Besart Berisha returned to where it all started.

Western United striker Besart Berisha signs an autograph for a fan of the new A-League club. Picture: AAP

Facing the prospect of premature retirement, Besart Berisha returned to where it all started, laced up the trainers and fixed his headphones to his ears.

The musical mash-up reflected his multicultural and nomadic existence, as well as hope for the future when others — including his last club — doubted the A-League’s record goalscorer.

Like a scene out of Rocky IV, Berisha took off on the first of his long runs through Berlin’s Planterwald Forest.

“I don’t know about Rocky, but Berisha has his own style,” he said, speaking in his trademark third person.

Like Rocky Balboa, who opted for old-school training methods in contrast to Ivan Drago’s hi-tech regime, Berisha went full old school — minus the snow sleigh and chopping down trees.

The snow was replaced by the searing German summer sun, and those eight-mile (12.87km) runs set the tone for a fairytale that started last week with Western United.

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“My old roads in Berlin — I lived close to this forest. It takes you back, takes it to where you started, every off-season I’ve been doing these runs in the forest, eight-mile runs,” he said.

“I did it so many times, good tempo. You listen to music, it feels like five miles.

“I listen to everything. House, dance, Albanian, German, Croatian songs. Honestly, some songs in Italian, a Portuguese band, I don’t understand (the words) but I love it.

“You realise you’re still fit and gives you so much to give. It motivates you.”

Berisha could have quit after being frozen out in Japan. There were dark times during a 14-month spell at Sanfrecce Hiroshima that resulted in just 170 minutes of game time and just one start in seven matches.

“At 34, I probably thought it was over. If you don’t stay disciplined, 90 per cent over,” Berisha said. “You’re at an age where you can’t just turn up. There was two choices as a player — give up, retire. Or every day in Japan after training keep doing extra work, runs. I didn’t play last year for many reasons, but I don’t blame myself for this. In Asia there’s a lot of things going on, sometimes you don’t play.

“It helped because I know if I didn’t play for half a year or more, I would lose so much.

“I’ve fallen in love (with football) all over again, especially after (scoring and winning on debut in) Wellington.”

HERALD SUN