It’s been a long journey for Canberra native Carl Valeri, whose 12-year stint in Italy eventually paved the way back to Australia with Melbourne Victory.
Ahead of his first game for the club against the Western Sydney Wanderers on Friday night – where he’s expected to partner Leigh Broxham in shielding the defence – Valeri has revealed it’s the support crew behind the club that lead to his homecoming, drawing comparisons between the Victory and his former clubs.
“Every important season I had in Italy, there was always a fantastic group of players and a fantastic club supporting behind them,” the Australian international said.
“That’s the key thing. We have everything here, we’ve spoken about [the title], we dream about it, it’s our goal but now we’ve just got to get out there and do it.
“It’s not enough to just talk about it, we’ve got to show that we want it week in, week out in every training session, as we have up until today. But every day is a new day and that’s the mentality we have at the club, something I love.
“I wanted to be a part of this and every day it makes me happy because I knew it was the right decision to come back to the Melbourne Victory.”
Having faced up against a number of quality outfits during an extensive pre-season – including three A-League opposition and a pair of FFA Cup clashes – he’s has had a taste of top-tier football in the country for the first time, and he was mildly surprised by the standards set.
“[The league] is at a great standard. The intensity is something that I didn’t expect and you definitely have to be at your fittest and at your best,” Valeri said.
“So that’s something that I’ve worked hard on and something all the boys have especially worked hard on. It’s been a tough preparation but the good bits here – it’s an exciting few days into the start of the season.”
Valeri also spoke in detail about the level of depth the club now possess, and more tellingly, revealed the role that those not in the starting XI have to play in keeping the playing group motivated, a role which he knows all too well from spells on the sideline in Italy.
“We’re focused on the team effort, it’s no longer about the individual. Individuals don’t win you leagues, they don’t win you games, it’s a team effort,” he said.
“So whoever’s sitting on the bench, or in the stands, they’re just as important. In fact, most of the [successful] seasons I’ve had, the players not playing are the ones that are most important, because they’re the ones that drive the group and really push each other along.
“It’s something we’ve spoken about, it’s something we know and I’m sure my turn will come to sit out and watch the guys.
“Obviously I’ll be a bit upset but I’ve got to take that positively and push the guys along, because I know it’s got to be a team effort.”
With a spot in the starting XI all but assured for the Wanderers clash – with captain Mark Milligan away on Socceroos duty – he admitted the nerves of an A-League bow weren’t getting to him, but reassured that the little anxieties pre-game actually kept him motivated to perform.
“Nervous as any other game. I’ve been fortunate enough to play a lot of important games and you always get that feeling before a game, it’s something that I’ve loved since I was a little kid.
“If I ever lose that feeling, I guess it’s time to hang up the boots!”