Brisbane Roar recruit Kosta Barbarouses will be out to prove a point when he returns to his native homeland – but it won’t be to former club Wellington Phoenix.
Brisbane travels to Hamilton to face the Phoenix in a pre-season trial as the two clubs continue to ramp up preparations for the new Hyundai A-League season.
Facing his former club for the first time since his switch across the Tasman, Barbarouses is expected to play a significant amount of time at the Waikato Stadium.
But despite leaving New Zealand in search of greater first team opportunities, the 20 year-old said he returns with no ill-feelings towards his hometown club.
“I was at the Phoenix for three years so I-ve made some good friends there … and I don-t think I have anything left to prove to the Phoenix,” Barbarouses said.
“I-d rather prove to the Roar, the players, the coaches and the fans at what I can do.
“The Roar is my team now and I want to do well for them.”
Playing in the majority of Brisbane-s pre-season tour, Barbarouses has been used across the frontline as coach Ange Postecoglou tinkers with his formation.
However, the versatile Barbarouses has enjoyed the flexibility of the role and has hit a purple patch in front of goal less than a month out from the start of the new season.
“I-ve got a lot of game time under my belt … I-ve played six games, started nearly all of them and I-ve scored about five goals and a few assists,”
“I-ve played out wide up front early on but now I-m sorting of playing more central.
“So everything is going really well coming into new season.”
And with the Queensland Roars Against Racism match against Everton and another pre-season game against Newcastle, a confident Barbarouses said Roar fans could expect greater improvement before the season begins.
“I think I-m fitting into Ange-s system quite well,” he said. “And Ange is really good at communicating and getting his point across.
“I-m taking in the advice that he gives on how he wants to play so I think it-s going really well.”
Brisbane Roar plays the Wellington Phoenix at Waikato Stadium, Hamilton on July 10.
Gates open 12.30pm and kick-off is at 2pm.
Brisbane Roar travelling squad
1. Michael Theoklitos
2. Matt Smith
3. Luke DeVere
5. Ivan Franjic
6. Erik Paartalu
7. Kosta Barbarouses
10. Henrique
11. Reinaldo
12. Matt Mundy
15. Matt McKay
17. Mitch Nichols
18. Luke Brattan
20. Andrew Redmayne
21. James Meyer
22. Thomas Broich
