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Exclusive Interview: Socceroo And Former Fulham Defender Adrian Leijer
Adrian Leijer talks exclusively to Goal.com's Chris Paraskevas about an eye-opening experience in England.
Sep 17, 2009 3:01:11 AM
At the age of 23, Adrian Leijer has experienced first-hand what he describes as the ‘cut-throat’ nature of English football.
Whilst there are no regrets for this former A-League prodigy - who rose to prominence following an impressive stint with the Melbourne Victory (during which he won numerous personal accolades and an A-League title) - two years with Fulham in the English Premier League has left him a changed man.
Having toiled in the reserves and on-loan with a lower league club for two seasons with the Londoners, Leijer decided to end his first-team famine by returning to a club that holds a special place in his heart.
His is the untold story of so many Australian footballers who decide to pursue their European dream but quickly must come to terms with the lessons of a highly competitive – and not always romantic – environment.
Goal: After a few A-League games since your return, what are your impressions of the competition? Has it changed much since you’ve been away?
AL: I think it’s improved a lot. The introduction of more teams and it’s becoming better known well world-wide so in the time I’ve been away, it’s made some good progress.
Goal: What’s the personal feeling now that you’re back. Refreshed? Relieved?
AL: It’s definitely good to be back and playing first-team football again because that’s what you want to do. Two years playing reserves and it was coming to the point where it was getting too long. So to be back and thrown back into first-team action is a great feeling.
Goal: Obviously spending two years with a club like Fulham in the English Premier League would be something of a learning experience...
AL: I learned a hell of a lot. You’re surrounded by great coaches and great players. The two years was a great experience and I’m very grateful for the opportunity and glad I did it. But there comes a time where playing is a main aim and that was the reason behind my decision.
Goal: What was it that sparked your return to Australia?
AL: I went back after the last off-season and realized that my chances there would be limited. That’s when a couple of things came up close to the end of the transfer window and I thought that maybe coming home would be the best thing for me to kick-start my career.
Goal: Was the move to England everything you expected it to be? Did you expect to be playing reserve football for so long?
AL: Yeah I did. When I signed I knew I wasn’t signing to go straight into the first team, I was signed as a development player and I think during those two years I did develop a lot and in my future and as my career progresses it will prove a very beneficial time spent in England.
Goal: Tell us a little bit about the things you experienced over there. A lot of people obviously talk about the difference in standard and style between Europe and Australia...
AL: You experience a different way of playing football and it’s a much quicker game over there and a completely different style to that in the A-League. I suppose the A-League is trying to base itself more on a Dutch way of playing and England is just non-stop, flat-out. There’s a lot of things that happen over there differently and it is an eye opener and you pick up little things everywhere you go.
Goal: Was it a case of you struggling to adapt to the pace and physical demands of the English game?
AL: I think my first year was probably my best year. I really enjoyed it and I suppose playing reserve team football then wasn’t a problem for me because it was all knew to me and I was trying to make an impression and I was looking forward to playing the games. But in the second year (after the Olympics) things didn’t go great for me and I guess you could say I felt I hadn’t progressed that much, playing in the reserves again. It made it difficult. I got to spend some time at Norwich City [on loan] which was fantastic but then I returned to Fulham and realized I was back to square one and needed a change.
Goal: Would you describe the environment as cut throat?
AL: It’s definitely cut throat. It’s easy for a club that big in a league so big to just go and buy anyone they want. If you’re not performing then they just get the chequebook out and go and sign someone. It’s a very difficult league to break into - and so it should be, it’s the best league in the world and there are some fantastic players playing in it.
Goal: In a way, are you disappointed that you’ve returned to Australia having failed to break into the first-team at Fulham?
AL: I suppose you could say that. You could look at it as being a disappointment to have returned [to Australia] or you could look at it as trying to kick-start my career in order to get back there. That’s my main goal but for now it’s getting back here, playing regularly again and getting that match sharpness back.
Goal: You spoke before about the experience of being around great players and managers. Was Roy Hodgson one of those characters?
AL: A coach like Roy Hodsgon is unbelievable and for a player like me – who didn’t even play – to be rating him so highly shows just how well respected he is. You learn a lot not only from him but also the guys around him. One guy there, Billy McKinlay, my reserves coach, was great to me. He’s someone who I also learned a hell of a lot off.
Goal: What about Mark Schwarzer?
AL: Yeah Schwarzer’s a great guy and I spent a lot of time with him. We always chatted about the A-League and things back home. It’s always good to have an Aussie in the change-rooms who understands what you’re missing out on from back home. He’s an influential person at the club so it was fantastic.
Goal: Exactly how highly thought of is Schwarzer at the club? He’s obviously been a huge success despite being there for a short period of time.
AL: I think the reason we went from relegation battlers to European battlers had a lot to do with Schwarzer. I suppose he, after speaking to Roy Hodgson, realized it was a great club and would push on and contest for a European position. He’s been a great buy and will continue to be for them. He’s a great ‘keeper and even though he’s getting old, there are no signs of him losing his touch or sharpness so come 2010 he will be the perfect man for the job at the World Cup.
Goal: Why was it that you didn’t decide to move to a lower league team or elsewhere in Europe, instead of returning to Australia?
AL: I had options to go into lower leagues but I didn’t really want to go into the lower leagues. We’ve got a fantastic competition back here in Australia and I think if you’re going to go battle it out in the lower leagues you might as well come home and enjoy your football, so that was my thinking behind it. I suppose teams were probably a bit hesitant to take me because I hadn’t played for two years and they weren’t sure what they were going to get. It’s good to be back here surrounded by familiar people, family and friends and I suppose be happy off the pitch as well as on the pitch.
Goal: And Melbourne was the obvious choice upon your return to Australia? Were there any other offers?
AL: There were a few clubs interested but Melbourne are a fantastic club and I’ve got the best memories of my career at Melbourne so it was a pretty easy decision to be coming back and playing with guys like ‘Muscy’ [Kevin Muscat] and to be coached by Ernie Merrick and [assistant manager] Aaron Healey was one of the main reasons why I came back to Melbourne.
Goal: Do you plan to perhaps return to Europe or England one day and have a crack again at a career overseas?
AL: I’d love to but for now I’m just concentrating on my football here and mainly just being happy, being surrounded by family, friends and good people. If I’m happy off the field, it’s only going to help me on the field so that’s my main focus for the moment.
Goal: You’re still fairly young but you’ve obviously had quite some experience overseas. Any advice to aspiring young Australian footballers looking to move to Europe?
AL: If I was in a position again I’d go again. It’s a great experience but the one thing I will say is probably to pick the right club and probably not go too high too early, which is probably what I did. The other thing is to have a good support base around you to help you through those times that are difficult and to help you focus purely on your football while you’re over there.
Goal: You spoke before about the willingness of big clubs to simply sign players on a whim. Was it frustrating for you to see Fulham sign players in your position as you toiled in the reserves?
AL: It’s fair enough, there’s that much money involved in the Premier League and there’s that much pressure. If you don’t have that much experience, the standard of the Premier League is so high that they need to have the best of the best.
Goal: Is there a danger that the A-League could go down the same path in terms of signing players from overseas instead of promoting and developing younger players?
AL: Obviously I think what the A-League has done with the youth league and things like that is fantastic. In the time that I’ve been away there have been some great young players coming through and I’ve noticed them over there and people are talking about them. In terms of bringing marquee players back it’s definitely what the A-League needs. For players like myself playing in the A-league we love to see players like that because we want to improve the league as a whole and play against great players.
Goal: Would you say you’ve changed as a person as a result of the English move? Perhaps you’ve grown more mature and resilient?
AL: I think I’m more mature and more resilient. I have grown up a lot, you don’t really have an option; you either grow up or let it float past you. I’m only 23 and I think I’ve done a lot and learned a lot already and hopefully my experiences so far will hold me in good stead for my future.
Goal: So, no regrets?
AL: No, none at all.
Goal: And the best part thing about returning to Australia?
AL: Probably family and friends...and also the weather!
Chris Paraskevas, Goal.com
Get all the Australian football coverage you need on the Goal.com Australia homepage!
Whilst there are no regrets for this former A-League prodigy - who rose to prominence following an impressive stint with the Melbourne Victory (during which he won numerous personal accolades and an A-League title) - two years with Fulham in the English Premier League has left him a changed man.
Having toiled in the reserves and on-loan with a lower league club for two seasons with the Londoners, Leijer decided to end his first-team famine by returning to a club that holds a special place in his heart.
His is the untold story of so many Australian footballers who decide to pursue their European dream but quickly must come to terms with the lessons of a highly competitive – and not always romantic – environment.
Goal: After a few A-League games since your return, what are your impressions of the competition? Has it changed much since you’ve been away?
AL: I think it’s improved a lot. The introduction of more teams and it’s becoming better known well world-wide so in the time I’ve been away, it’s made some good progress.
Goal: What’s the personal feeling now that you’re back. Refreshed? Relieved?
AL: It’s definitely good to be back and playing first-team football again because that’s what you want to do. Two years playing reserves and it was coming to the point where it was getting too long. So to be back and thrown back into first-team action is a great feeling.
Goal: Obviously spending two years with a club like Fulham in the English Premier League would be something of a learning experience...
AL: I learned a hell of a lot. You’re surrounded by great coaches and great players. The two years was a great experience and I’m very grateful for the opportunity and glad I did it. But there comes a time where playing is a main aim and that was the reason behind my decision.
Goal: What was it that sparked your return to Australia?
AL: I went back after the last off-season and realized that my chances there would be limited. That’s when a couple of things came up close to the end of the transfer window and I thought that maybe coming home would be the best thing for me to kick-start my career.
Goal: Was the move to England everything you expected it to be? Did you expect to be playing reserve football for so long?
AL: Yeah I did. When I signed I knew I wasn’t signing to go straight into the first team, I was signed as a development player and I think during those two years I did develop a lot and in my future and as my career progresses it will prove a very beneficial time spent in England.
Goal: Tell us a little bit about the things you experienced over there. A lot of people obviously talk about the difference in standard and style between Europe and Australia...
AL: You experience a different way of playing football and it’s a much quicker game over there and a completely different style to that in the A-League. I suppose the A-League is trying to base itself more on a Dutch way of playing and England is just non-stop, flat-out. There’s a lot of things that happen over there differently and it is an eye opener and you pick up little things everywhere you go.
Goal: Was it a case of you struggling to adapt to the pace and physical demands of the English game?
AL: I think my first year was probably my best year. I really enjoyed it and I suppose playing reserve team football then wasn’t a problem for me because it was all knew to me and I was trying to make an impression and I was looking forward to playing the games. But in the second year (after the Olympics) things didn’t go great for me and I guess you could say I felt I hadn’t progressed that much, playing in the reserves again. It made it difficult. I got to spend some time at Norwich City [on loan] which was fantastic but then I returned to Fulham and realized I was back to square one and needed a change.
Goal: Would you describe the environment as cut throat?
AL: It’s definitely cut throat. It’s easy for a club that big in a league so big to just go and buy anyone they want. If you’re not performing then they just get the chequebook out and go and sign someone. It’s a very difficult league to break into - and so it should be, it’s the best league in the world and there are some fantastic players playing in it.
Goal: In a way, are you disappointed that you’ve returned to Australia having failed to break into the first-team at Fulham?
AL: I suppose you could say that. You could look at it as being a disappointment to have returned [to Australia] or you could look at it as trying to kick-start my career in order to get back there. That’s my main goal but for now it’s getting back here, playing regularly again and getting that match sharpness back.
Goal: You spoke before about the experience of being around great players and managers. Was Roy Hodgson one of those characters?
AL: A coach like Roy Hodsgon is unbelievable and for a player like me – who didn’t even play – to be rating him so highly shows just how well respected he is. You learn a lot not only from him but also the guys around him. One guy there, Billy McKinlay, my reserves coach, was great to me. He’s someone who I also learned a hell of a lot off.
Goal: What about Mark Schwarzer?
AL: Yeah Schwarzer’s a great guy and I spent a lot of time with him. We always chatted about the A-League and things back home. It’s always good to have an Aussie in the change-rooms who understands what you’re missing out on from back home. He’s an influential person at the club so it was fantastic.
Goal: Exactly how highly thought of is Schwarzer at the club? He’s obviously been a huge success despite being there for a short period of time.
AL: I think the reason we went from relegation battlers to European battlers had a lot to do with Schwarzer. I suppose he, after speaking to Roy Hodgson, realized it was a great club and would push on and contest for a European position. He’s been a great buy and will continue to be for them. He’s a great ‘keeper and even though he’s getting old, there are no signs of him losing his touch or sharpness so come 2010 he will be the perfect man for the job at the World Cup.
Goal: Why was it that you didn’t decide to move to a lower league team or elsewhere in Europe, instead of returning to Australia?
AL: I had options to go into lower leagues but I didn’t really want to go into the lower leagues. We’ve got a fantastic competition back here in Australia and I think if you’re going to go battle it out in the lower leagues you might as well come home and enjoy your football, so that was my thinking behind it. I suppose teams were probably a bit hesitant to take me because I hadn’t played for two years and they weren’t sure what they were going to get. It’s good to be back here surrounded by familiar people, family and friends and I suppose be happy off the pitch as well as on the pitch.
Goal: And Melbourne was the obvious choice upon your return to Australia? Were there any other offers?
AL: There were a few clubs interested but Melbourne are a fantastic club and I’ve got the best memories of my career at Melbourne so it was a pretty easy decision to be coming back and playing with guys like ‘Muscy’ [Kevin Muscat] and to be coached by Ernie Merrick and [assistant manager] Aaron Healey was one of the main reasons why I came back to Melbourne.
Goal: Do you plan to perhaps return to Europe or England one day and have a crack again at a career overseas?
AL: I’d love to but for now I’m just concentrating on my football here and mainly just being happy, being surrounded by family, friends and good people. If I’m happy off the field, it’s only going to help me on the field so that’s my main focus for the moment.
Goal: You’re still fairly young but you’ve obviously had quite some experience overseas. Any advice to aspiring young Australian footballers looking to move to Europe?
AL: If I was in a position again I’d go again. It’s a great experience but the one thing I will say is probably to pick the right club and probably not go too high too early, which is probably what I did. The other thing is to have a good support base around you to help you through those times that are difficult and to help you focus purely on your football while you’re over there.
Goal: You spoke before about the willingness of big clubs to simply sign players on a whim. Was it frustrating for you to see Fulham sign players in your position as you toiled in the reserves?
AL: It’s fair enough, there’s that much money involved in the Premier League and there’s that much pressure. If you don’t have that much experience, the standard of the Premier League is so high that they need to have the best of the best.
Goal: Is there a danger that the A-League could go down the same path in terms of signing players from overseas instead of promoting and developing younger players?
AL: Obviously I think what the A-League has done with the youth league and things like that is fantastic. In the time that I’ve been away there have been some great young players coming through and I’ve noticed them over there and people are talking about them. In terms of bringing marquee players back it’s definitely what the A-League needs. For players like myself playing in the A-league we love to see players like that because we want to improve the league as a whole and play against great players.
Goal: Would you say you’ve changed as a person as a result of the English move? Perhaps you’ve grown more mature and resilient?
AL: I think I’m more mature and more resilient. I have grown up a lot, you don’t really have an option; you either grow up or let it float past you. I’m only 23 and I think I’ve done a lot and learned a lot already and hopefully my experiences so far will hold me in good stead for my future.
Goal: So, no regrets?
AL: No, none at all.
Goal: And the best part thing about returning to Australia?
AL: Probably family and friends...and also the weather!
Chris Paraskevas, Goal.com
Get all the Australian football coverage you need on the Goal.com Australia homepage!
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