Adelaide United hopes striker Lloyd Owusu – who’s been training with the club in the past week – will make a decision about his playing future on Thursday.
Owusu, who has been giving Adelaide – the town and the team – a test run since arriving in South Australia last Tuesday, leaves for Perth on Thursday before heading back to England.
But before he goes, Reds coach Aurelio Vidmar wants to know where the 32-year-old intends to play.
Owusu has spent the past couple of months on loan at English club Brighton & Hove Albion and has been offered a one-year deal there. He is also reported to have a number of other offers on the table in England as well as the one from Adelaide United.
United defender Iain Fyfe said he was optimistic the English-born, former Ghanaian international will put pen to paper.
“He’s a pretty bubbly character and he said he loved his time here, he loved training with the boys and the boys got along with him really well so everything went smoothly from that point of view,” Fyfe said.
“It’s just a matter on I suppose his own decision in terms of whether he wants to stay in the UK or if we wants to come to Australia.”
“He’s got a family to think about as well so I’m sure Adelaide did all they can do to convince him, (although) it’s not really that hard to convince him. It’s a great club to play for and a great city to live in so hopefully it all works out.”
The former Sydney FC player said Owusu would be an asset to the squad.
“I think he could offer a fair bit, he’s a different style of player to what we have here, which is what we need, we don’t need similar forwards,” he said.
“If we can get the right players around him, which I think we’ve got here in terms of Cristiano and Travis Dodd, if we get them buzzing around Lloyd and picking up the loose balls and Lloyd holding the ball up for us – he’s a big strong lad so I think he’s got a lot to give to this team.”
Owusu wasn’t training with the team on Wednesday but has said playing opportunities, rather than money, were a priority at the moment.
“They (Adelaide United) want me, that’s the main thing. It’s good to feel wanted as a player. I mean if someone puts their arm around you as a player, you know you’ve got to produce your best performances,” Owusu told the media last week.
“I don’t want to be going to a team where, don’t get me wrong the money could be good, but I could be the fourth or fifth choice striker. I’m not really looking for that at the moment. I’m at a point in my career where I believe I know I can keep going, keep kicking on and my goal scoring record shows that.”
Meanwhile, Fyfe said the team were looking forward to playing their first practice match of the pre-season when they tackle Super League suburban side Para Hills Knights next Tuesday.
It will be Fyfe’s first game in Reds colours and he believes he’ll be holding down a centre back position. The 27-year-old is looking forward to the challenge of being one of the more experienced members of the Reds’ defence.
“I’m very happy with that role. I feel like my game thrives on a role like that, that little extra bit of responsibility,” he said.
“We’ve got a few young boys at the back but in saying that they’ve got a lot of experience over the last year, year and half in the Champions League, they’ve played in big games even though they are just young lads.”
“I am a more senior player, played a few more games and am a little bit older but I’m more than comfortable playing with these players around me.”
