Tomi Juric being coached by Carl Veart – it’s the “match made in heaven” that Adelaide United fans hope secures the Reds their first A-League title since 2016.
Finally out of quarantine, new Reds signing Juric said former Socceroos striker Veart was the perfect man to revive his career after a tough time overseas with Bulgarian club CSKA Sofia.
“I love attacking football, the boss loves attacking football … it’s just a match made in heaven for me,” Juric said.
“That’s one of the key points (in why) I came back to Adelaide … having someone to guide me after not playing for such a while, just to make things a little bit easier.
“It felt like the right fit at this point in time, what I’m after in my career, which is obviously minutes, games (and) getting things back on track.”
It’s the 29-year-old marksman’s second stint with the Reds after spending time with the club in 2013 following five years in Europe.
“It’s nice to begin another new chapter where I began my first new chapter in Australia,” he said.
“I’m happy to be back, I’m happy to be out of quarantine, breath in some fresh air and be back at a familiar place where I had a really good time.”
Veart put the onus on Juric, a 2015 Asian Cup winner with the Socceroos, to perform this season.
“Tomi is a Socceroo … and we expect big things from Tomi,” Veart said.
“To win championships you need a quality number nine and that’s what Tomi is.
“He doesn’t just score goals, he links the play up and that’s the type of striker we need, someone that plays with the other players and provides assists as well.
“That’s something that he’s very good at.”
Veart said the Reds would take a cautious approach with Juric, who might not play in Adelaide’s season-opening clash against Western United at GMHBA Stadium on December 28.
“There’s no rush. We’ve got 27 games to play so we have to make sure we look after Tomi with his fitness and make sure that he’s in good condition so he can give us his best effort,” Veart said.
Juric agreed, saying he would take a steady approach.
“I set myself quite a high bar, but it’s small steps from the start,” he said.
“I haven’t played for such a long time now, I’m just raring to get back and get going again, put some boots on and score goals.’’
Adelaide United will host a joint training session involving both the men’s and women’s teams today from 9am at Coopers Stadium as part of a fans’ day.
Both teams will train together for the first time in the club’s history.