Manchester United and the A-League’s next breakout star Portsmouth have eyes on

Sydney FC’s glittering A-League golden boy

Just how big a season Adrian Segecic had for Sydney FC was seen as he swept board at the A-League club’s end-of-season awards. The attacker was named Member’s Player of the Season, Players’ Player of the Season and also picked up the club’s Golden Boot.

A-League top scorer

As well as being named Sydney’s top scorer, Segecic picked up the A-League’s Golden Boot returning 13 goals and two assists from 24 outings. That saw him share the position of the league’s top scorer with Adelaide United’s Archie Goodwin, though Segecic’s return came in two fewer appearances. Furthermore, the Sydney-born talent bagged five goals from 11 AFC Champions League outings.

Manchester United mark

There’s already been plenty of signs about Segecic’s suitability for making the English transition, with one of the most recent his starring role for the ASEAN All-Stars as they defeated Manchester United at the end of last month. Segecic was a second-half substitute and produced a delightful assist for the only goal of the game, before being denied a finish himself late on. ESPN stated Segecic was ‘fearless in leading the attack’ against a strong United side.

Segecic’s goals and assists (stats from Wyscout)

Transfer talk

Segecic has recently been open about the prospect of joining his countryman making a move to European football. His agent, Paddy Dominguez, is one of the biggest in Australia and represents both Jacob Farrell and Alex Robbertson, who’ve made moves to Pompey. Segecic confirmed Dominguez has been exploring options for him. He said: ‘It (a transfer) has been on my mind since the end of the season. After our last exhibition match against Manchester United in Malaysia, I hope to discuss the potential options available.’

Socceroos or Croatia

Segecic has represented Australia at age-group level, but has yet to receive a senior international cap for the Socceroos. There’s been no contact from international boss Tony Popovic since he was named Graham Arnold’s successor last year and the 20-year-old holds a Croatia passport, representing their under-17 side. Segecic admitted he’d find a senior Croatia call hard to ignore in the face of not being selected by Popovic.

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He said: ‘I haven't spoken to him (Popovic), though I know he has watched some of my games. I’m not sure if there’s a tactical reason behind my exclusion,

“I played for the Croatian under-17s; it's a possibility. If the Australian team doesn’t provide me with a chance, and I have an opportunity for first-team international football, it’s hard to say no.’

Championship over Rapid Vienna

Austrian powerhouse Rapid Vienna are one side who’ve been trailing Segecic, with a move to Europe looking increasingly likely this summer. Rapid head coach Peter Stoger confirmed Segecic had turned a move to the Austrian Bundesliga for a more lucrative offer in the Championship. Pompey and QPR are the sides rumoured to be keen, with the Blues having space to bring in overseas players in Elite Significant Contribution slots under relaxed Home Office criteria.

Holland haul

Another plus point over Segecic is he already has experience in European football, despite being at a formative stage of his professional career. He spent last season with Dordrecht in the Dutch Erste Divisie - the country’s second division, helping his temporary side finish fourth before losing to FC Emmen in the play-offs over two legs. Segecic returned five goals and an assist from 33 appearances, with 15 of those outings starts.

Segecic stats and Wyscout

The attacker’s output has certainly soared this season, as he produced 18 goals and three assists in all competitions. Segecic's goal return came from an xG of just 11.39, or 0.44 per 90 minutes. He also produced an eye-catching 3.61 shots per 90 minutes, averaging 24.73 passes with a 79.1 per cent completion rate. Segecic averaged 3.26 dribbles per 90 with a 56 per cent success rate. The Sydney man also averaged 19.49 duels per 90 (45.2 per cent successful). He registered 55.6 total actions per 90, with 45.2 per cent successful.

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