Newcastle Jets’ Danish import Jesper Hakansson will feel right at home when he makes his Hyundai A-League debut against the Melbourne Victory at Telstra Dome on Friday night.
Hakansson, who missed the first two rounds of this season with a calf injury, has a host of relations living in Melbourne, all of whom will be at Friday night’s match to urge on the former Danish international.
“Since I was young I have some family in Melbourne,” Hakansson said. “And of course they have to go for the Jets, so yeah, they will come and watch.”
“I was out here in Melbourne about 15 years ago for a holiday and since that time my dream was always to come to Australia to play. Now I’m here and I’m happy, and I am really looking forward to playing this season.”
The 26-year-old, who has enjoyed stints with SC Heerenveen, RBC Roosendaal and ADO Den Haag in the Dutch Eredivisie said it has been difficult to start his Australian campaign on the sidelines with an injury but indicated it had only served to fuel his enthusiasm to put in a good performance in his debut match against the Victory.
“It was frustrating,” Hakansson said of his injury. “But now I’m ready and it was only two games I missed so I will look forward to it and I’m ready.”
“I really feel good. It’s always terrible to get injuries, you’re all alone, you know. You see the boys just running around and you just sit there on the sideline. But now I’m back and I’m really 100 per cent.”
Comfortable playing up-front at the point of the attack, as a wide player or as an attacking midfielder the Dane said he was happy to play anywhere in the Jets line-up, with coach Gary van Egmond confirming Hakansson will make his debut in the starting 11.
“I am most happy behind the striker,” Hakansson said. “But I don’t care. We just have to go our own way and play where we can. Against Melbourne it might be a bit different but I like to play in behind the striker.”
Hakansson said he has been impressed with the standard of play in the Hyundai A-League and despite playing in a losing side against the Victory in the pre-season believed the Jets could come away with all three points in the round three clash.
“I would say the league is higher than what I thought,” he said. “What we heard from Europe; you didn’t hear that much about the A-League, to be honest. But I think the league is pretty good and is going up, you can see it. So I really look forward to playing here.
“They (Melbourne) were fit, and I thought they played really well. But still, we had a new team and a lot of players that had to learn each other, you know. But still, I think we have a good chance.”
