'Heart, passion and a game changer': Why Portsmouth faithful will love their newest Australian recruit
The Australian is Pompey’s first signing of the summer
The Fratton faithful will quickly learn to love a ‘game changer’ who will run himself into the ground for the Pompey cause.
That is Mark Robertson’s verdict on Adrian Segegic - the Blues’ first signing of the summer transfer window.
Robertson, the father of ex-Fratton favourite Alex, knows all about Segecic’s prodigious talents, having mentored the attacking midfielder for more than seven years.
Indeed, he was by the former Sydney FC youngster’s side when he took his Pompey medical in London last week and subsequently oversaw him signing a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.
And he is convinced Blues supporters will swiftly take to ‘a delightful kid’.
Portsmouth signing will ‘run himself into the ground for the cause’
Robertson told The News: ‘Adrian is a delightful kid, a better human than he is a player, which is probably the best place to start.
‘He is aggressive, he’s someone who loves the game, he talks about the game, so, when he crosses the white line, everything he does is at 110 per cent.
‘That doesn’t mean he’s rash, it just means that he does it purely with heart and passion. I’ve told him “You are lucky you’re talented”. The talent will always come second after the work-rate, he’s a person who will run himself into the ground for the cause.
‘I have played with many players who were super-talented, but if you are going to go around the place with the handbrake on, on or off the pitch, it just doesn’t happen.
‘Adrian is technically sound, everything he does is with great timing, and the power comes with that. Generally, it’s never about the size of your quads or size of you as a person. Although don’t ever call him small!
‘His attitude is “I will show you”, “The bigger the better they fall”, that’s his mentality, that’s the way he’s been brought up. He has a strong Croatian background, his dad is as tough as leather boots.
‘Adrian is brave enough to pick up the ball and will always be screaming to receive it, which not every player is comfortable doing. He’s capable of going past someone and playing a one-two, he’s always on the move, he’s never one who is just going to make a game tick over.
‘For me, he is a game changer. I know that’s an easy cliche with the goals he has scored coming off the bench, but he really is.’
Although Sydney were due training compensation having offered a new contract before it’s summer expiry, Pompey instead paid an undisclosed fee for his services.
According to Segecic’s former club in their official announcement over his departure, it was worth ‘a substantial six-figure fee’.
Regardless, there has been plenty of interest in the youngster from across the globe, with Pompey emerging as the 21-year-old’s favoured choice.
‘There was a lot of interest’
Robertson added: ‘There was a lot of interest and that’s not me leading you on, that’s genuine mate, that’s across the world.
‘He signed his contract at Sydney three years ago and then they offered him a new one and he didn’t take that up, which put him in the perfect scenario to leave for Pompey on a nominal fee.
‘You’ve got to be smart, if you are advising someone. Football is a gamble, you have to look at that and say is it worth running it down? Or is he still lacking a bit of development so maybe we sign him up for another three years and then will be ready?
‘But you could see a mile off that within those three years Adrian was going to come good.’
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