Keisuke Honda and Ola Toivonen lead A-League import class for new season

The A-League hopes of the 10 clubs will, as ever, hinge on how their import players perform.

Sweden striker Ola Toivonen, left, celebrates his goal against Germany in the World Cup in June. Picture: Getty Images

They are not household names along the lines of Alessandro Del Piero or Dwight Yorke, and they haven’t quite captured the same publicity circus surrounding Usain Bolt’s attempt to go from fastest man in the world to professional footballer.

Unless you have your head stuck continually in football magazines or are constantly watching live streams from around the world, you would be unlikely to know the likes of Ola Toivonen, Tobias Mikkelsen, Adam Le Fondre, Ritchie De Laet, Siem de Jong, Alexander Baumjohann or Ross McCormack.

Unlike Bolt who, at 32, is only now starting out on his journey to professional football, the latest group of foreigners to find their way to Australia have a pedigree in the game — at club and international level — that is going to turn heads in the A-League this season.

The championship hopes of all 10 clubs will hinge on just how the visa players perform for, as the records show, the clubs live and die by their ability to scout the right players.

GRAPHIC: A-League’s foreign legion

It is what has made Sydney FC the force they have been over the past two seasons — first with ­Brazilian striker Bobo, the classy Milos Ninkovic and Jordy Buijs in 2017-18 when the Sky Blues won the Premiers Plate-Championship double, and then last season’s Premiers Plate-FFA Cup double when Bobo and Adrian Mierzejewski were standouts.

Defending A-League champions Melbourne Victory won the title last season thanks largely to some outstanding performances from Dutchman Leroy George.

Mierzejewski, the Johnny Warren medallist, Bobo, Buijs and George have all moved on, as have the likes of Alvaro Cejudo (Wanderers), Massimo Maccarone (Brisbane Roar) and Daniel Adlung (Adelaide United) to mention but a few. But as is the case almost every season, the turnover is big and a new batch of 20-odd players have come in as the 10 clubs work to fill their five allotted visa spots.

Victory and Sydney FC fans seem delighted with the work their clubs have put into the search for the right type of players. Victory coach Kevin Muscat has worked tirelessly in the off-season, needing to replace George, Matias Sanchez and veteran Besart Berisha.

George and Sanchez were the only two visa additions last season but Muscat has gone all out for the new season, bringing in Swedish striker Toivonen, German defender Georg Niedermeier, Spanish midfielder Raul Baena and, a “biggie” in Japanese superstar, Keisuke Honda.

Toivonen’s signing is huge. The 32-year-old played 64 times for Sweden, scoring 14 goals, including the one in the 2-1 loss to Germany at the World Cup in Russia in June. His club resume is impressive with stints at Malmo, PSV, Rennes, Sunderland and Toulouse. At 1.92m he is big and strong and is going to be a handful for every ­defender in the A-League. Muscat could not have picked a better ­replacement for Berisha.

But it is Honda who has caused the biggest excitement for Victory and local fans.

The Japanese superstar has signed as a marquee and brings a “wow” factor to the competition.

Typically, A-League clubs look for attackers/strikers when searching overseas and this season is no different.

Needing to find someone to fill the big boots of Bobo, who scored a phenomenal 27 goals in 27 games last season, Sydney coach Steve Corica is looking to seasoned ­English professional Le Fondre.

The 32-year-old attacker has played and scored in the English Premier League with Reading, although most of his time has been spent in the lower leagues. His pre-season form with the Sky Blues has been outstanding.

Sydney have had plenty of success with Dutch players in the past and they have added two new ones in midfielder De Jong and defender Jop van der Linden.

Central Coast Mariners have also done well, bringing back controversial striker McCormack, who had an outstanding stint with Melbourne City last season before having to return to England in January.

Western Sydney Wanderers have moved away from their love affair with Spanish players, instead opting for two German signings — Patrick Ziegler and Baumjohann.

Baumjohann has only been in the country less than a month but has already shown his class in a couple of FFA Cup games. Fitness is an issue at the moment but he will get even better as the season progresses.