Melbourne Victory legend Archie Thompson hopes former Victory team-mate Besart Berisha breaks his Hyundai A-League scoring record in Saturday night’s blockbuster Melbourne Derby against City.
Thompson is currently the greatest scorer in Hyundai A-League history with 90 goals after a glittering career with Victory.
But Berisha is closing in on that mark, moving to 89 goals following his stunning hat-trick against Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday night.
The perfect hat-trick took Berisha to eight goals and top of the Golden Boot standings after Round 10.
Thompson has urged the Albanian marksmen to go on and break his record against fierce rivals Melbourne City this Saturday at AAMI Park.
“It’ll be in the back of his mind, no doubt,” Thompson told the Herald Sun.
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“Every player has selfish goals. Personally, I wanted to reach 100 goals. Unfortunately, the last couple of years I could’ve gone to another team and maybe got more game time and maybe reached 100.
“But it only would have delayed the inevitable. My record was always going to go and I wouldn’t want it to go to anyone else than him. I hope it’s this week.
“He’s a goal-getter. That’s why you sign him and pay him good money. He just wants to score. You saw a few weeks ago when Marco [Rojas] scored the goal and he was disappointed Marco didn’t pass to him.
“If you want success, that’s the selfishness you want from a striker.”
Before his treble on Saturday night, some were questioning Berisha’s form.
But Thompson, like Victory coach Kevin Muscat, says it’s foolish to ever write off the prolific striker, who has won three Hyundai A-League Championships in the last five seasons.
“Whenever someone writes Berisha off, he responds. Besart won’t score for a while, then bang in three,” Thompson said.
“Like the season we won the title, there was a period he didn’t score for 4-5 games, then he scored bags. That’s how he is.
“Let’s be honest, he hasn’t been performing great, he himself would know that.
“When he’s not performing, he gets put in the spotlight. When he does perform, people expect it from him.”
Victory hasn’t won any of their last four derbies in all competitions, but head into Saturday’s clash just one point behind their fierce neighbours, with a game in hand.
It’s set up for a massive showdown between Fornaroli (seven goals) and Berisha in arguably the most anticipated clash in Melbourne derby history.
