Off-season recruit Brett Holman has turned his focus to the upcoming Hyundai A-League season following his official Brisbane Roar debut on Saturday.
Brisbane Roar fans caught their first glimpse of the Socceroo legend in the Roar kit in the 3-1 win over PS4 NPL QLD U23 Select at QSAC.
Holman was at his creative best in his first 45 minutes as a Roar player, playing a key role in the lead-up to two first half goals and numerous chances.
The 63-time Socceroo enjoyed playing alongside his new teammates and says he isn’t setting individual goals for the upcoming season but doing what is best for the squad.
“I’m happy to get through it unscathed and the most important thing for me was to get the minutes under my belt,” Holman said.
“It was good to get out on the pitch with my teammates for the first time and overall, I’m really excited.
“You want to do well personally but the individual side of things is not the most important thing.
“The Roar did extremely well last season and hopefully we can better that this season.”
Despite an extensive playing career in some of the world’s top leagues, Holman says he still gets nervous before games, especially in a club debut.
“As a footballer you always get nervous at a new club because you put that pressure and expectation on yourself to always perform well,” he said.
“I was definitely nervous on Saturday because I wanted to make sure that I helped my teammates and played well.”
Striker Jamie Maclaren was the beneficiary of some terrific play in midfield from Holman against NPL Select, scoring twice. Following a 20-goal 2015/16 season for Maclaren, Holman’s addition to the Roar’s already lethal attack could see the side become one of the most potent in the league.
The combinations between Holman fellow attacker Dimitri Petratos were reminiscent of a pair that had been playing together for years and provides reason for optimism amongst the Roar faithful.
The duo combined seamlessly throughout the first half against PS4 NPL QLD U23 Select and Holman says the combinations will improve with game time together.
“It’s not something that will click on day one, the patterns and the formations is something you work on and perfect at training,” Holman said.
“It doesn’t always work on game day, sometimes the opposition are well set-up and it’s difficult to counteract that.
“I was happy with the way it went on Saturday. You see the quality that we have in the side and how close the group is and that definitely helps.”
The October 7 season opener against Melbourne Victory at Suncorp Stadium is edging nearer with only nine days remaining until the clash. Tickets can be purchased HERE .
Following experience in lengthy European campaigns, Holman realises the importance of beginning the season on the right note in a shorter Hyundai A-League campaign.
“You can work as much as you can at training but at the end of the day, you need to stand there and perform come next Friday night,” He said.
“Coming back to the A-League, there are fewer games than many other competitions, so you have to be ready to go from the first game.
“Hopefully we can get off to a good start against the Victory.”
Holman is yet to play in the Roar orange, but he has experienced the incredible atmosphere inside the cauldron. He represented the Caltex Socceroos in a 2010 World Cup qualifier against Qatar, a clash that will long be remembered for a torrential downpour pre-game.
“I played there once when it poured down during warmup against Qatar, I don’t think they were too happy about that,” he said.
“If you think about all the great sporting moments at Suncorp Stadium, especially Brisbane Roar moments, you can see it’s definitely meant to host big events.”
