The easy option might have been to stay close to family in Sydney. Instead, Daniel Arzani chose to “make things tough” for himself by returning to Melbourne for a fresh start at Victory.
Daniel Arzani has a new club to call home – and a new outlook on football to boot.
The 24-year-old is relishing his switch from Macarthur FC to Melbourne Victory, citing a hunger to test himself in a new environment and put together a “cracker” of an Isuzu UTE A-League campaign to push for another chance overseas.
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Arzani says he’s inspired by the recent trend of young players securing opportunities in Europe, highlighted by Marco Tilio’s transfer to Scottish champions Celtic for an Australian record outbound fee.
Arzani made that same move to Scotland himself in 2018 – but injuries curtailed his chances to impress while abroad.
“S*** happens,” says Arzani, reflecting on that period of his life. “I went to Celtic. I was obviously doing well at the beginning when I went there, then injuries struck… that’s football.
Watch the full interview with Melbourne Victory’s Daniel Arzani below.
“I think what I struggled with after the injury was, I always had this feeling I was just unlucky, I should have had more, I could have had more – and I never really managed to let go of that negativity from the past.
“Now I feel like I’m over that hump and I want to give it another shot.
“It’s really strange to say, but for me, it’s inspiring seeing (Tilio) last year doing well and seeing him get a move abroad. It makes me think I have the capabilities to do something like that as well. And why can’t I?”
“I think Tilio going over there and getting a move, it’s good for Australian football, it’s good for him, and honestly I’m buzzing for him, I think it’s a really good thing,” he added.
Arzani has only been at Melbourne Victory for four weeks, but Arzani can already see exactly how his new boss Tony Popovic has earned his reputation as a head coach.
“Training is ridiculously tough at the moment,” he says. “We’re doing three double (sessions) this week and we’re four weeks into pre-season. The standard is so high. Popa is driving the boys so much and I feel really good about it personally.
“I think the biggest thing for him with me and what he’s shown me is that he’s not going to let me even have one day where I’m a little bit off it.
“He records all the sessions, he watches everything back from the warm-up to the very end to the cooldown and he wants everyone on it 110% of the time and he expects the most from everyone all the time.
“I think having that kind of attitude and having that kind of expectation placed on you, it’s just going to bring the best out of you.”
That’s some impression Popovic has made on Arzani in his first month at the Isuzu UTE A-League club – and if you ask him, it’s exactly what he needs.
Arzani joined Victory from Macarthur at the end of last season, and is eager to raise his game after a disappointing season on return to Australia at the Bulls.
“It was good to be back last year. I got to be with my family again after a long time and, it was nice to see them,” he said. “But I think now it’s time for me to focus back up and have a cracker season.
“I wanted to be in an environment where there are very high expectations and I feel like coming to a big club like Victory and working with a coach like Popa who wants you to give 110% every single day, I think it could have a really positive impact for me and for my career.
“It would have been definitely easier to stay in Sydney around friends and family. But I chose to come here. I spoke to (director of football John Didiluca) and spoke to Popa and I chose to come here and take a little bit of a risk, but also make things tough for myself, I guess.
“I want be hitting double digits for assists and goals this season here at Melbourne Victory and from then on whatever happens, happens.”
Should a move back overseas eventuate for the 24-year-old winger, he believes he’s better equipped to deal with the pressure that would come with it than he was in 2018. That’s because of a shift in expectation on the shoulders of young Aussies abroad that Arzani has noticed since his first European journey began.
Arzani left Melbourne City off the back of a series of whirlwind events in his career; he won the A-League Men Young Footballer of the Year award to go with the Harry Kewell Medal, awarded to the best Australian male player under the age of 23.
He was selected in Australia’s 2018 FIFA Men’s World Cup squad, signed for Manchester City from Melbourne City, and then found himself on loan in Scotland at Celtic.
At the time, there were fewer young Aussies following that same pathway in comparison to now.
“I just felt a sense of responsibility, because I feel like at the time when I came up and I was coming through, there weren’t really many young players playing in the (A-League),” Arzani said.
“There weren’t really many going into the national team at such a young age. Whereas now I think I feel like young players are getting a lot more of a shot, and a chance to shine through.
“I felt like it was my responsibility to show (my ability), because I played with a lot of young players at City that I thought deserved to be in the same situation as me or even better. (There were) some really good young players and I felt the burden was on my shoulders to show that the young players can do it, and dethrone the older players and create a new golden generation. So I just felt responsibility in that kind of sense.
“Like I’ve always said, for me, pressure is not really a big thing because I don’t think anyone has ever placed more pressure on me than I’ve placed on myself. I always expect the most out of myself and I think that as much as people expected me, I always expect more of myself.”
It’s not just Tilio who Arzani can look to for inspiration this season. The likes of Nectar Triantis, Aiden O’Neil, Keegan Jelacic and Jordan Bos are all part of Australia’s national ranks, and secured big-money moves overseas after respectively brilliant A-League Men campaigns.
The fact that he’s been there before puts Arzani in a position to pass on words of wisdom to the young members of the Victory squad this season, who he is encouraging to dream big.
“Anything is possible… I say to the young boys here all the time: the difference between what you’re doing here and what’s happening overseas with other players, it’s not as big as you think.”
It’s an encouraging message from an optimistic young player who has refocussed his outlook on football as he heads into a new campaign at Victory.
“For me, football has always been a love thing,” he says.
“I love the sport. I think if I didn’t get paid to do it, if it wasn’t my job, I’d still be playing four or five times a week. Same as my dad, same as my brother. We just really enjoyed it. I love footy and I think I kind of missed out on that love during certain periods, especially when you’re not doing well.
“There’s a lot of stress with other things involved and, there’s a lot of b******* outside of actually what happens on the field. But this season I just feel good.
“I feel like I’m back in love with the game. I’m enjoying coming into training every day. It’s bloody tough, but it’s good.”
