Young gun Jordan Courtney-Perkins is relishing his return to Brisbane Roar after a stint in Europe.
After a year and a half with Polish side Raków Częstochowa and Warta Poznań, Courtney-Perkins returned home with the aim of cementing himself in Brisbane’s side and putting his experience to the test.
“It’s obviously nice to come back to the club and see a lot of familiar faces, it’s very comfortable for me and we’ve got a strong squad this year so it’s all positive for me,” he said.
“The Polish league is a quick league, it’s very physical.
“I went over there and straight away the strength and conditioning guys were working with me in the gym to get me up to standard.
“Out on the pitch it’s quick, you’ve got to make your decisions quickly playing over there.
“I have improved a lot as a player and developed as a person too being able to train and play at a higher level.”
Opting to return to the Roar on loan for the 2022/23 Isuzu UTE A-League season, the 20-year-old defender said that match time was a priority for continuing his development as a player.
“It was important for me to get some consistent game time and I think with the team’s trust I’m starting to play and get a lot of games under my belt which is good for me because I’ve got the opportunity to show what I’ve got,” Courtney-Perkins said.
“It came down to where I would get the greatest opportunity to play and after speaking with the team it seemed like Brisbane was a good fit for me to come back and hit the reset button.”
In the wake of the Socceroos performance at the FIFA World Cup 2022, fans and media alike have been throwing around names as to who might receive a call up for 2026.
Courtney-Perkins, along with fellow defender Kai Trewin, were two of those names.
Speaking on his future ambitions, wearing the green and gold at a World Cup is on the cards for Courtney-Perkins, but he also believes he still needs to keep working to improve his game.
“It’s a big compliment but it’s a long way away, I’ve got to keep working, I’m not there yet,” he said.
“I think it’s everyone’s dream to play for the Socceroos and seeing how well they’ve done at this World Cup, it’s really positive and it should get a lot of backing and support going into the next World Cup.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to represent Australia and it will continue to be a dream of mine.
“I’ll just keep working at it and you never know what can happen.
“I’ll learn a lot from playing consistent games and as a defender, it’s important to even make mistakes and learn from them. Overall, just playing games I’ll become quicker, stronger, faster, and make better decisions,” he concluded.
Brisbane Roar will face Western Sydney Wanderers at Kayo Stadium on Friday 23 December. Get your tickets HERE.
